HEALTH  AND  HAPPINE 


FRANCIS  J.  DOR 


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in  2010  with  funding  from 

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HEALTH  AND  HAPPINESS 

An  Elementary   Text   Book   of  Personal 

Hygiene   and  Physiology   Based 

on   Catholic  Principles 


BY  THE  REVEREND 

FRANCIS  J.  DORE,  S.J.,  Ph.D.,  M.D. 

Dean  of  the  School  of  Social  Service,  Fordham  University 


p*'"!>^. 


y  1  i»r 


NEW  YORK 

JOSEPH  F.  WAGNER,  Inc. 

LONDON:   B.    HERDER 


QP 

,>6 


Copyright,  1922,  by 
JOSEPH  R  WAGNER 


BoiraieeuiKUMMiv 


A.  m.  s.  (g. 


PREFACE 


There  have  been  many  text-books  written  on 
the  interesting  subject  of  hygiene,  but  most  of 
them  emphasize  so  strongly  the  acquirement  of 
health  as  the  chief  aim  of  life,  without  which 
happiness  is  impossible,  that  they  tend  to  make 
the  youthful  readers  too  material,  and  to  cause 
them  to  lose  sight  of  the  much  more  weighty 
spiritual  interests  of  mankind.  This  book  was 
written  to  try  to  indicate  the  close  interweaving 
of  science  and  religion,  and  to  show  how  an  un- 
biased study  of  the  former  naturally  trains  the 
mind  in  the  knowledge  and  love  of  our  First  and 
Last  End. 

Acknowledgments  are  due  to  the  encourage- 
ment and  cooperation  of  a  number  of  friends,  and 
especially  to  the  kindness  of  the  Eeverend  John 
A.  Brosnan,  S.  J.,  Professor  of  Biology  at  Wood- 
stock College,  without  whose  tireless  industry 
many  of  the  pictures  in  the  book  would  not  have 
been  possibleo 

F.  J.  D. 


Uij^r?  (i>ob  Ijaa  built  iJ^XB  blaxtng  ©IjrDttF, 
Nor  ^tt  alnn^  on  rartl|  hrlnm 
Mttli  b^lt^b  B^aa  tlyat  rnm?  nnh  go, 
An&  ^nlil^Ba  tska  af  aunltt  gr^rn, 
Jfa  all  tlj^  ilakrr*a  glnrg  ar^n — 
Unok  in  upon  tl^g  monJiruuB  fram^, 
Etrrnal  Miabnm  atill  tl|f  aamr- 

Oliver  Wendell  Holmes. 


CONTENTS 

PAGE 

Preface vii 

Introduction xiii 

CHAPTEK 

I.     The  Skeleton 1 

II.     The  Muscles 16 

III.  What  Exercise  Does 25 

IV.  How  to  Exercise 35 

V.     The  Covering  of  the  Body       ...  49 

VI.     The  Circulation 64 

VII.     The  Blood 75 

VIII.     The  Alimentary  Tract 87 

IX.     Digestion:   Part  I 93 

X.     Digestion:   Part  II 100 

XI.     Assimilation 106 

XII.     The  Wonderful  Eye 117 

XIII.  The  Marvellous  Ear 129 

XIV.  The  Air  We  Breathe 138 

XV.     The  Path  of  the  Air 151 

XVI.    Artificial  Breathing 163 

XVII.     The  Nervous  System 167 

XVIII.     The  Central  Station 179 

XIX.     Care  of  the  Nerves 185 

XX.     How  Nerves  Act 196 

XXI.     Overworking  the  Nerves    .      .     .      .  205 

XXII.     Mastery  of  the  Nerves       .      .      .      .215 

.XXIII.     The  End  and  the  Beginning    .     .     .  223 

xi 


INTRODUCTION 


1.  Man  is  called  a  microcosm,  from  two  Greek 
words,  meaning  a  *  kittle  world,''  since  he  com- 
bines in  himself  the  elements  of  all  the  rest  of 
creation.  His  soul,  in  so  far  as  it  is  spiritual, 
partakes  of  the  nature  of  the  angels.  His  body 
shares  in  all  the  elements  which  go  to  make  up 
the  three  great  kingdoms  of  this  visible  universe ; 
namely,  the  mineral,  the  vegetable  and  the  animal 
kingdoms. 

2.  Like  the  minerals,  all  human  beings  are  sub- 
ject to  the  laws  of  time  and  space;  they  are  af- 
fected by  heat  and  cold;  they  are  influenced  by 
gravity  and  the  forces  of  attraction  and  repulsion. 
Thus,  in  ever  so  many  ways,  men  show  their  kin- 
ship with  the  earth,  from  the  soil  of  which  God 
formed  the  first  man,  Adam,  and  on  which  man 
dwells  for  a  time,  while  he  prepares  himself,  by  a 
loyal  service  of  his  Creator,  for  his  true  home  in 
heaven.  Like  the  members  of  the  vegetable  king- 
dom, the  body  of  man  develops  cell  by  cell,  grad- 


xiv  INTRODUCTION 

ually  enlarging  in  size  until  full  growth  is  reached. 
While  he  lives  on  earth,  a  building-up,  as  well  as 
a  breaking-down  process  is  always  going  on,  just 
as  in  plants  and  flowers. 

3.  Like  the  animals,  man  eats,  drinks,  sleeps  and 
wakes.  He  has  similar  faculties  of  taste,  touch, 
sight,  hearing  and  smell,  though  many  of  the  lower 
animals  have  senses  which  are  much  more  acute 
than  those  of  man.  His  whole  organic  structure, 
however,  is  very  much  the  same;  so  much  so  in- 
deed, that  this  fact  has  led  many  people,  who  are 
educated  only  in  a  one-sided  way,  to  conclude  that 
man  is  an  animal  and  nothing  more.  In  the  last 
century,  this  view  was  made  public  by  an  English 
scientist  of  prominence,  named  Charles  Darwin, 
so  that  this  very  unworthy  opinion  of  man  is 
called  ''The  Darwinian  Theory."  According  to 
its  followers,  man  is  simply  a  highly  developed 
animal,  more  so  than  the  dog,  cat  or  horse,  or  any 
of  our  domestic  animals.  Many  of  these  mis- 
named scientists  say  that  man's  remote  ancestor 
was  a  monkey,  and  this  was  the  view  adopted  by 
Darwin.  But  some  of  the  modern  ones  now  hold 
that  man  has  descended  from  a  lizard,  others  say 
it  was  a  scallop,  others  a  jellyfish.  In  fact,  there 
is  no  limit  to  the  absurdities  into  which  people 
fall  when  they  once  reject  the  safe  guidance  of  the 


INTRODUCTION  xv 

infallible  Churcli  of  Christ,  wliich  teaches  that 
man  is  created  by  God  with  a  definite  purpose  and 
a  definite  work  to  do ;  and  if  man  is  only  faithful 
and  obedient  here  on  earth,  he  will  be  rewarded  by 
his  Creator  with  everlasting  happiness  in  heaven. 

4.  Dr.  Thomas  Dwight,  who  was  an  anatomist 
of  the  first  rank,  as  well  as  a  splendid  Catholic, 
used  to  begin  the  course  of  lectures  which  he  gave 
at  a  certain  medical  school  every  year,  with  this 
sentence:  ^^Man  is  a  creature  composed  of  body 
and  soul,^'  which  you  will  remember  from  the  first 
page  of  your  catechism.  But  then  he  added: 
*^With  the  soul  we  have  nothing  to  do  here,  as  our 
work  lies  altogether  with  the  body'';  and  in  the 
myriad  wonders  of  the  latter  some  of  his  hearers 
became  so  interested  that  they  forgot  the  existence 
of  the  former. 

5.  We  shall  try  to  avoid  their  mistake,  but  must 
bear  it  in  mind;  since  the  human  body  is  a  very 
absorbing  subject,  and  its  marvellous  construction 
and  its  wonderful  mechanism,  even  though  we 
shall  penetrate  their  mysteries  but  very  slightly, 
are  so  enticing,  that  unless  we  are  on  our  guard, 
we  may  forget  what  our  Catholic  Religion  tells  us 
about  the  close  association  of  the  soul  with  the 
body,  and  that  the  body  must  never  be  allowed  to 
do  anything  which  will  bring  damage  to  the  soul 


XVI  INTRODUCTION 

or  stain  its  whiteness  with  sin.  It  is  also  helpful 
to  remember  that  the  soul  is  so  dependent  upon 
the  body  here  in  this  life  that  the  condition  of  one 
affects  the  other,  and  that  frequently  a  weak  and 
unpleasant  character  is  the  result  of  an  undevel- 
oped and  badly  trained  body.  Dr.  Charles  Eliot, 
until  recently  the  President  of  Harvard  Univer- 
sity, once  said:  ^'To  attain  success  and  length  of 
service  in  any  of  the  learned  professions,  a  vigor- 
ous body  is  well-nigh  essential.  A  busy  lawyer, 
editor,  minister,  physician  or  teacher,  has  need  of 
greater  physical  endurance  than  a  farmer,  trader, 
manufacturer  or  mechanic.  All  professional  biog- 
raphy teaches  that  to  attain  lasting  distinction  in 
sedentary  indoor  occupations  which  tax  the  brain 
and  the  nervous  system,  extraordinary  toughness 
of  body  must  accompany  the  extraordinary  mental 
powers.'^ 

6.  Most  men  who  have  been  forces  that  really 
counted  in  shaping  the  history  of  the  world,  were 
as  strong  in  body  as  in  mind.  Napoleon  was  called 
a  ^'man  of  iron,''  and  his  favorite  saying  was  that 
*'The  first  requisite  of  good  generalship  is  good 
health."  Oeorge  Washington,  the  Father  of  our 
Country,  was  a  man  of  wonderful  strength  and 
endurance,  and  we  read  that  he  never  thought  of 
asking  his  soldiers  to  stand  the  privations  and 


INTRODUCTION  xvii 

hardships   which  he  himself  bore   without  com- 
plaint. 

7.  Of  Garcia  Moreno,  the  gallant  President  of 
Ecuador,  was  written :  ^  ^  Nature  had  given  him  all 
the  eminent  qualities  that  formed  the  man  of  ac- 
tion. Tall  and  upright,  with  a  robust  constitution, 
everything  revealed  a  man  of  untiring  energy.  In 
troublous  times,  he  was  on  horseback  from  morn- 
ing till  night,  and  his  iron  constitution  resisted  all 
fatigue. ' ' 

8.  Gladstone  was  the  Prime  Minister  of  Eng- 
land at  the  age  of  eighty-four,  when  most  men 
are  unable  to  do  very  arduous  w^ork.  His 
biographer  writes  of  him:  *'He  had  enormous 
driving  power  and  physical  energy.  His  famed 
habits  of  felling  trees  and  taking  extremely  long 
walks  are  pointed  out  as  causes  of  his  rare  staying 
power  and  surpassing  accomplishments.'' 

9.  These  are  but  a  few  of  many  examples  that 
might  be  cited  to  show  that  the  leaders  among 
men  and  women  have  been,  generally  speaking, 
those  whose  health  of  body  equalled  that  of  the 
intellect.  You  see,  therefore,  how  necessary  it  is 
to  foster  and  preserve  your  bodies  in  order  to  do 
your  share  of  work  in  this  world  and  help  to 
spread  the  kingdom  of  God. 

10.  It  is  quite  necessary  to  know  the  right  way 


xviii  INTRODUCTION 

to  set  about  a  work  of  such  importance,  and  there- 
fore we  shall  try  to  learn  some  of  the  simpler  and 
more  important  facts  connected  with  the  teaching 
of  bodily  health,  and  to  explain  some  easy  methods 
of  keeping  well  and  strong. 

11.  This  book,  however,  deals  with  bodily,  not 
with  spiritual  hygiene,  so  that  it  is  not  to  be  ex- 
pected that  any  formal  treatment  of  the  develop- 
ment of  the  soul  will  be  included  within  these 
pages.  Although  every  Christian  knows  whether 
more  care  should  be  given  to  the  soul  or  the  body, 
stress  is  here  laid  on  the  fact  that  neither  should 
be  neglected. 

12.  In  the  case  of  the  younger  readers,  the 
technical  terminology  of  the  book  may  well  be 
omitted ;  but  some  knowledge  of  physiology  is  ab- 
solutely essential  to  proper  instruction  in  the  sub- 
ject of  hygiene. 


HEALTH  AND  HAPPINESS 


Chapter  I 
THE  SKELETON 

"Knowest  thou  the  nature  of  the  human  frame, 
That  world  of  wonders,  more  than  we  can  name  ? 
Say,  has  thy  busy,  curious  eye  surveyed 
The  proofs  of  infinite  wisdom  here  displayed?" 

1.  Biology  is  the  name  of  the  science  which  dis- 
cusses living  things;  in  botany,  we  learn  about 
flowers  and  plants;  in  zoology,  we  study  the  ani- 
mals; and  in  anatomy  and  physiology,  we  try  to 
find  out  the  various  parts  of  the  body  and  the 
functions  of  these  parts.  The  function  of  any  one 
of  the  bodily  organs  means  the  particular  part  it 
plays  in  maintaining  the  life  of  the  organism. 
After  we  have  obtained  some  idea  of  our  bodies 
and  the  working  of  the  parts  of  which  they  are 
made  up,  we  shall  endeavor  to  discover  what  are 
the  things  we  ought  to  know  in  order  to  keep  our 


^  HEALTH  AND  HAPPINESS 

bodies  in  a  constant  state  of  good  health ;  and  this 
is  what  is  meant  by  the  science  of  Hygiene. 

2.  Man  is  called  a  rational  or  reasoning  animal, 
an  animal  because  his  body  is  like  the  body  of  a 
brute  animal  in  many  respects,  but  rational^  be- 
cause he  has  something  very  important  which  the 
brute  animals  have  not;  namely,  a  mind,  and 
therefore  is  able  to  reason  and  judge,  and  to  use 
his  free  will,  which  makes  man  the  king  of  all  the 
rest  of  creation.  God  made  all  other  things  for 
man's  use,  and  made  man  for  His  honor  and 
glory;  and  man  wins  his  eternal  reward  by  em- 
ploying his  body,  his  mind  and  his  will,  and  all 
other  creatures,  in  serving  and  praising  God.  It 
is  necessary  to  bear  this  in  mind,  since,  if  we  do 
not  know  how  to  use  our  bodies,  we  shall  not  be 
putting  them  to  the  use  God  intended  when  He 
gave  them  to  us. 

3.  There  are  three  main  divisions  of  man's 
body;  the  head,  the  trunk  and  the  extremities. 
The  bony  part  of  the  head  is  called  the  skull,  and 
is  composed  of  twenty-two  bones,  fourteen  of 
which  are  in  the  face.  There  are  three  little  bones 
in  each  inner  ear.  The  lower  jaw  is  the  most  in- 
teresting of  the  face  bones,  because  it  is  separated 
from  all  the  rest,  and  moves  up  and  down  and  side- 
ways in  the  actions  of  talking  and  eating ;  whereas 


THE  SKELETON 


\ 


I 


A  Human  Skull, 


4  HEALTH   AND   HAPPINESS 

the  upper  jaw  is  firmly  fixed  to  the  top  of  the  skull, 
and  has  no  distinct  movements.  Attached  to  the 
two  jaw  bones  are  the  teeth,  of  which  the  number 
in  an  adult  is  thirty-two,  sixteen  in  each  jaw.  The 
four  front  teeth  of  the  upper  and  lower  jaws  are 
called  the  incisors,  and  are  sharp  for  the  purpose 
of  cutting  and  dividing  the  food  as  it  enters  the 
mouth.  Next  to  these  are  the  canines  or  cuspids, 
one  on  each  side  of  both  jaws ;  beside  each  of  these 
four  teeth  are  two  bicuspids,  or  eight  altogether. 
Behind  them  are  three  molars  on  each  side,  six  in 
each  jaw.  The  last  are  the  grinders,  and  they 
reduce  the  food  to  the  fine  condition  in  which  it 
may  be  safely  swallowed.  In  the  child  there  are 
only  twenty  teeth,  of  which  the  first  to  appear  are 
the  incisors,  usually  the  upper  ones,  which  cut 
through  the  gum  when  the  baby  is  about  one  year 
old.  The  teeth  require  daily  attention,  and  should 
be  cared  for  by  a  dentist  at  least  once  a  year. 

4.  The  bones  of  the  skull  are  generally  broad 
and  flat,  as  also  are  the  ribs  and  the  breastbone. 
Look  at  the  picture  of  the  skeleton,  and  notice  the 
different  shapes  of  the  bones  to  suit  particular  pur- 
poses of  the  various  parts  of  the  body.  Some 
people  are  frightened  at  the  sight  of  a  skeleton, 
but  if  they  had  no  bones  under  their  flesh,  they 
could  not  walk  or  move.     Besides,  the  skeleton 


THE  SKELETON  5 

protects  and  guards  from  injury  the  brain  and 
spinal  cord,  the  heart  and  lungs,  and  other  organs 
necessary  to  life,  which  we  shall  study  later. 

5.  All  the  four-footed  animals,  called  quadru- 
peds, the  birds  and  the  fishes,  are  like  man  in  hav- 
ing a  long  backbone,  which  is  called  the  spinal 
column.  This  is  not  one  bone,  but  is  made  up  of 
a  number  of  small  bones,  called  vertebrae,  and  it 
is  on  this  account  that  man  and  all  animals  that 
have  this  backbone  are  named  vertebrates.  As 
you  see  in  the  picture,  there  is  a  big  hole  in  each 
vertebra,  through  which  runs  the  spinal  cord,  and 
this  cord  connects  with  the  brain  through  a  hole 
in  the  bottom  of  the  skull. 

6.  In  the  old  mythology  of  the  Greeks,  the  earth 
was  supposed  to  be  held  in  space  by  a  giant  whose 
name  was  Atlas ;  and  so  the  top  vertebra,  on  which 
the  skull  rests,  is  called  the  atlas.  The  second  one 
is  named  the  axis,  because  it  is  on  this  one  that 
the  head  and  the  atlas  rotate.  The  spinal  column 
is  divided  into  several  parts,  according  to  the  loca- 
tion in  the  body.  The  upper  part  is  called  the  cer- 
vical part;  since  it  is  in  the  neck.  Between  the 
shoulders  is  the  dorsal  part;  below  that  is  the 
lumbar,  and  underneath  is  the  sacral.  All  the 
vertebrae  are  strongly  bound  together  by  liga- 
ments, which  are  composed  of  thick  fibrous  tissue ; 


6  HEALTH   AND   HAPPINESS 

and  by  this  means  they  are  able  to  move  on  each 
other.  If  the  spine  were  one  bone  only,  we  should 
not  be  able  to  bend  our  backs,  and  should  have 
great  difficulty  in  walking  and  moving  about. 

7.  The  back  of  the  chest  is  formed  by  the  dorsal 
part  of  the  spine,  and  is  composed  of  twelve  ver- 
tebrae, to  which  the  ribs  are  joined.  In  front, 
seven  ribs  are  joined  to  the  breastbone,  and  these 
are  called  true  ribs.  The  lower  five  ribs  are  called 
false  ribs,  because  they  are  not  directly  connected 
to  the  breastbone,  but  each  to  the  one  above  it,  by 
ligaments. 

8.  The  shoulder  is  formed  by  the  collar-bone  in 
front,  and  the  shoulder-blade  behind.  The  collar- 
bones are  the  nearest  to  the  surface  of  the  body, 
and  therefore  are  often  broken  in  games,  such  as 
football,  unless  they  are  protected  by  thick  pads. 

9.  Between  the  head  and  the  chest  there  is  a 
small  bone,  shaped  like  the  letter  U,  which  can  be 
felt  on  each  side  of  the  throat,  and  to  which  the 
tongue  is  attached.  There  are  thirty  bones  in  each 
extremity.  From  shoulder  to  elbow  is  one  bone; 
from  elbow  to  wrist,  two  bones;  the  wrist  has 
eight;  and  the  hand,  including  the  fingers,  nine- 
teen. On  account  of  the  number  and  location  of 
the  bones  in  the  hand,  it  is  capable  of  almost  un- 
limited motions.     Just  think  of  the  movements 


THE  SKELETON 


made  In  playing  the  piano  or  any  other  musical 
instrument.  The  hand  has  been  called,  '  ^  the  only 
machine  truly  godlike."  There  is  no  piece  of 
apparatus  made  by  the  most  skilful  mechanic  that 
can  in  any  way  perform  the  actions  of  even  the 
smallest  hand  which  has  been  de- 
signed by  God. 

10.  The  thigh  is  one  bone,  and 
is  the  largest  in  the  body.  From 
the  knee  to  the  ankle  are  two 
bones,  the  ankle  and  foot  have 
twenty-six  bones.  There  is  also 
a  round  bone  in  front  between 
the  thigh  and  the  leg,  which  is 
the  knee-cap.  The  ligament  in 
which  this  bone  is  sheathed  is 
stretched  when  we  genuflect. 
The  hip  bones  are  very  irreg- 
ular in  shape,  and  were  called 
nameless  by  the  old  anatomists. 
They  are  joined  together  in  front 
by  a  very  strong  ligament,  but  in  the  back 
they  are  separated  by  the  sacrum.  Enclosed 
between  the  hip  bones  is  a  cavity  called  the  pelvis, 
which  contains  the  lowest  part  of  the  abdominal 
organs. 


Arm  Bones. 

A,  Humerus;  B,  Ra- 
dius; C,  Ulnar;  D, 
Wrist  Bones;  E, 
Thumd;  F,  Fingers. 


S  HEALTH   AND   HAPPINESS 

THE  STKUCTUKE  OF  THE  BONES 

11.  We  are  so  accustomed  to  see  dead  bones, 
which  are  dull  white  in  appearance,  that  we  are 
apt  to  forget  that  within  the  living  body  the  bones 
are  filled  with  blood  vessels  and  nerves.  If  we  cut 
a  dead  bone  open  we  find  the  center  is  hollow,  but 


^ 


^':^^ 


itT^^^-.^xl 


-.^,- 


Portion  of  Long  Bone  Near  its  Head. 

A,  Compact  Bone;  B,  Cancellous  Bone. 

in  life  this  is  filled  with  marrow,  which  is  a  source 
of  nourishment  when  the  body  is  deprived  of  other 
food.  The  hardness  of  the  bone  comes  from  min- 
eral substances,  principally  phosphate  of  lime. 
We  can  burn  out  the  animal  matter  and  leave  the 
mineral  matter,  so  that  the  bone  becomes  brittle 
and  porous,  but  it  keeps  its  shape.    If,  however. 


THE  SKELETON  9 

we  put  the  bone  in  acid  for  some  time,  the  mineral 
matter  is  dissolved  out,  and  the  remaining  animal 
matter  can  be  tied  in  a  knot.  When  bones  break 
easily,  as  in  the  case  of  old  people,  it  shows  that 
they  have  too  much  mineral  matter.  Children's 
bones,  on  the  contrary,  have  an  abundant  supply 
of  animal  matter,  and,  therefore,  bend  more  easily 
than  they  break.  In  the  condition  of  rickets, 
which  is  a  disease  occurring  in  poorly  nourished 
children,  there  is  so  small  an  amount  of  mineral 
matter  in  the  bones  that  they  are  soft  and  yield  to 
the  least  pressure,  with  the  result  that  deformities 
occur. 

12.  During  one's  younger  years,  the  bones  are 
assuming  the  shape  which  they  will  bear  all 
through  life,  and,  therefore,  it  is  wise  to  avoid  all 
habits  of  attitude  or  attire  which  will  tend  to  cause 
interference  with  the  appearance  of  the  body 
which  the  great  Designer  had  in  mind  when  He 
planned  the  best  shape  for  man.  Consequently, 
we  should  not  sit  or  stand  with  the  shoulders  bent 
forward  or  the  back  curved.  We  should  try  to 
keep  the  spine  straight,  and  not  act  as  if  it  were 
made  of  rubber.  We  should  keep  the  knees  stiff 
when  standing;  otherwise  a  slouching  attitude  is 
acquired.  The  body  should  be  free  in  every  part, 
and  all  clothing  which  binds  the  waist  or  chest  is 
to  be  avoided.     The  most  abused  member  of  the 


10  HEALTH   AND   HAPPINESS 

body  is  the  foot.  We  wonder  at  some  of  the 
Oriental  nations,  on  account  of  the  manner  in 
which  they  destroy  the  shape  of  the  foot  by  bind- 
ing it  np ;  and  yet  many  supposedly  fully  civilized 
people  in  this  country  treat  their  feet  in  a  worse 
fashion,  by  wearing  shoes  that  are  too  short  or  too 
tight.  This  causes  corns  on  the  toes,  bunions  at 
the  joints  and  ingrowing  nails.  The  heel  of  the 
shoe  should  be  broad  and  low  and  under  the  heel 
of  the  foot.  The  sole  should  be  broader  and  longer 
than  the  foot  itself.  A  national  campaign  should 
be  started  against  the  modern  high  heels  of 
women's  shoes,  which  are  responsible  for  many  of 
the  physical  ills  which  women  endure.  In  the 
selection  of  your  footwear  let  nature  rather  than 
fashion  be  your  guide,  and  you  will  save  yourself 
much  pain  and  trouble  later  in  life. 

THE  JOINTS 

13.  A  joint  is  any  region  of  the  skeleton  where 
motion  is  possible.  There  are  three  kinds  of  joints 
in  the  body ;  viz.,  ball-and-socket,  hinge  and  irreg- 
ular. 

14.  The  hinge  joint  permits  motion  in  one  direc- 
tion only,  as  in  the  elbow.  The  ball-and-socket 
joint  allows  motion  in  all  directions,  forward, 
backward  and  rotary,  as  in  the  shoulder.  The 
irregular  joint  is  one  in  which  the  end  of  one  bone 


THE  SKELETON  11 

is  received  into  the  small  groove  of  another,  or  of 
others,  as  in  the  wrist. 

15.  Between  the  ends  of  the  bones  there  are 
pads  of  cartilage  which  serve  as  cushions,  and 
these  are  bathed  in  a  fluid,  which  prevents  friction. 
The  joints  of  all  other  machines  require  constant 
greasing  by  the  mechanician.  But  the  wonderful 
Mechanic,  who  fashioned  ours,  made  them  in  such 
a  way  that  they  furnish  their  own  grease  by  this 
fluid,  whenever  it  is  needed.  Joints  may  become 
enlarged  and  stiff ened  from  injury  or  disease,  and 
then  they  are  very  painful. 

16.  Holding  the  ends  of  the  bones  together  are 
strong  bands  of  tissue,  called  ligaments.  A  dis- 
location occurs  when  the  ends  of  bones  are  forced 
apart  at  the  joint.  Usually  this  causes  some  tear- 
ing of  the  ligaments  also,  and  a  pouring  out  of  the 
fluid  into  the  surrounding  tissues. 

17.  Contortionists  are  people  who  are  able  to 
bend  their  joints  in  almost  any  manner.  They 
have  acquired  this  facility  by  stretching  the  liga- 
ments gradually,  while  they  were  young.  Many 
foolish  young  people,  however,  injure  themselves 
permanently  by  trying  to  imitate  their  perform- 
ances. 

18.  A  sprain  means  the  twisting  or  tearing  of 
the  ligaments  in  the  region  of  a  joint,  without  any 

Lslocation  of  the  bones. 


dislocation  of  the  bones. 


12 


HEALTH   AND   HAPPINESS 


19.  A  fracture  is  a  break  of  a  bone;  the  most 
common  ones  are  of  the  collar-bone,  the  wrist  or 
the  ankle.  Those  who  play  baseball  frequently 
break  some  of  the  bones  of  the  hand. 

THE  BONES  OF  THE  BODY 


20.  Number  of  bones  in  the  skeleton 206 


Head 

28 


Trunk 
52 

Shoulders 
4 

Upper 

Extremities 

60 


Lower 

Extremities 

60 


Skull   8 

Face 14 

Ears   (3  in  each) 6 


Neck  (to  which  tongue  is  attached) 

Spine 

Ribs  

Breastbone  


1 

26 
24 

1 


Hips 
2 


Shoulder-blades    ( Scapula) 2 

Collar-bones    (Clavicle) 2 

Upper  arm — each  one 2 

Forearm — each  two 4 

Wrist — each  eight 16 

Hand — each  five 10 

Fingers — each  fourteen 28 

Thigh — each   one 2 

Leg — each    two 4 

Knee-cap — each  one 2 

Ankle — each  seven 14 

Foot — each   five 10 

Toes — each  fourteen 28 

Hips — each  one 2 


206 


THE  SKELETON 


13 


The  Skeleton. 


14  HEALTH  AND   HAPPINESS 

(The  thigh  is  the  part  of  the  body  from  the  hip 
to  the  knee.  The  leg  extends  from  the  knee  to  the 
ankle.  Each  hip  is  really  composed  of  three  bones, 
but  as  they  are  firmly  welded  together,  they  are 
counted  as  one.) 

QUESTIONS 

1.  Define  biology,  botany,  zoology,  anatomy,  physiology. 
What  is  meant  by  the  "function"  of  an  organ? 
What  is  Hygiene? 

2.  Why  is  man  called  a  "rational  animal"? 
How  is  man  to  win  an  eternal  reward? 

3.  What  are  the  main  divisions  of  the  body? 
How  many  bones  are  in  the  head?    In  the  ear? 
What  is  peculiar  about  the  lower  jaw? 

How  many  teeth  are  there  in  the  mouth  of  an  adult? 
What    are   the    incisors?    the    molars?    the    cuspids?    the 
bicuspids  ? 

4.  What  is  the  shape  of  the  bones? 

Of  what  importance  is  the  bony  part  of  the  body? 

5.  What  is  the  name  of  the  backbone? 
Of  what  is  it  composed? 

What  name  is  given  to  animals  with  a  backbone?    Why? 

6.  Name  the  top  bone  of  the  backbone,  and  why  is  it  so  called? 
What  is  the  second  bone?    Why  so  called? 

Of  what  advantage  is  it  to  have  the  spinal  column  made 

up  of  a  number  of  bones?    What  is  that  number? 
Name  the  various  parts  of  the  spinal  column. 

7.  What  forms  the  chest? 

How  are  true  ribs  distinguished  from  false  ribs? 

8.  What  forms  the  shoulder? 

Which  shoulder  bone  is  often  broken  and  why?  . 

9.  How  many  bones  are  in  the  arm?  the  hand?  the  fingers?^ 
10.  Where  is  the  thigh?    How  many  bones  has  it?    Compare 

its  size  to  other  bones  in  the  body. 


THE  SKELETON  15 

How  many  bones  are  in  the  leg? 
What  bone  moves  when  we  genuflect? 
Describe  the  hip  bones. 

11.  Of  what  is  bone  made? 

What  does  it  signify  when  bones  break,  easily  ? 

12.  Why  should  we  be  careful  of  the  position  of  the  body  dur- 

ing our  younger  years? 
What  have  you  to  say  about  shoes? 

13.  What  is  a  joint? 

How  many  kinds  of  joints  are  there? 

14.  Describe  the  various  kinds  of  joints. 

15.  Of  what  use  is  cartilage?     Where  is  it  found? 

16.  What  is  a  ligament?  a  dislocation? 

17.  What  is  to  be  said  about  contortionists? 

18.  What  is  a  sprain? 

19.  What  is  a  fracture? 

20.  What  is  the  number  of  bones  in  the  head,  trunk,  extrem- 

ities, hips? 


Chapter  II 
THE  MUSCLES 

1.  The  bony  framework  serves  to  give  shape 
and  firmness  of  outline  to  the  body,  and  to  protect 
the  vital  organs  from  injury.  We  have  learned 
that  motion  occurs  at  the  joints,  where  bones  are 
hinged  together  by  ligaments.  But  if  we  had 
nothing  more  than  bones  and  ligaments,  we  could 
not  move;  and  so  God  provided  muscles,  which 
cover  the  bones  and  are  attached  to  them.  There 
are  over  five  hundred  muscles  in  the  body.  Every 
kind  of  movement  that  we  make  is  due  to  them,  as 
well  as  our  erect  posture,  which  is  one  of  the 
things  that  separate  us  from  the  brute  beasts. 

2.  Look  at  the  picture  and  you  will  see  that 
muscles  are  of  all  shapes.  Some  are  flat,  like  the 
ones  which  cover  the  back.  Some  are  very  short, 
as  thqse  attached  to  the  fingers.  Some  are  round 
and  fat,  others  are  long  and  thin.  The  longest 
muscle  we  have  is  the  sartorius,  or  tailor  muscle, 
in  the  thigh,  which  is  about  two  feet  long.  The 
shortest  is  in  the  ear,  and  is  called  the  stapedius. 

16 


THE  MUSCLES 


It 


3.  The  diaphragm  is  a  broad  muscle  which  runs 
right  through  the  body  from  front  to  back,  and  is 
attached  to  the  lowest  ribs.  It  thus  divides  the 
trunk  into  two  cavities.  The  upper  one  is  the 
chest ;  the  lower  is  called  the  abdomen.  We  know 
that  the  chest  is  enclosed 

by  bones.  But  the  abdo- 
men is  not,  in  order  that 
we  may  bend  our  bodies. 
Besides,  if  there  were  a 
bony  cage  around  that 
part,  we  should  feel  very 
uncomfortable  after 
meals. 

4.  The  body  has  been 
compared  to  a  ship.  The 
bones  are  like  the  masts 
and  the  spars,  and  the 
muscles  are  like  the  sails 
and   ropes.     It   has    also 

been  compared  to  a  machine,  in  which  the  bones 
and  joints  are  like  the  columns  and  pulleys,  and 
the  muscles  take  the  place  of  the  belts  and  springs 
and  cords. 

5.  You  have  not,  perhaps,  realized  that  the  meat 
you  eat  at  table  is  nothing  but  some  portion  of 
the  muscular  system  of  an  animal,  and  is  called 


Muscles  of  the  Trunk. 


18  HEALTH   AND   HAPPINESS 

beef  or  pork  or  mutton,  according  to  the  kind  of 
animal  from  which  it  has  come.  (Only  a  cannibal 
eats  human  flesh.)  The  same  muscles  which  help 
the  animal  to  move  and  work  serve  as  food  for 
us,  after  it  is  killed.  But  is  it  right  to  kill  animals 
so  that  we  may  eat?  Yes,  indeed;  that  is  one  of 
the  wise  purposes  which  God  had  in  view  when 
He  made  the  animals.  He  made  them  for  our  help 
and  needs. 

6.  Foolish  people  who  refuse  to  admit  the  exist- 
ence of  God  and  of  our  souls,  and  who  say  that  the 
life  in  us  is  the  same  life  as  the  animals  and  the 
plants  have,  would  refrain  from  eating,  if  they 
were  consistent,  unless  they  admit  the  wrong  prin- 
ciple that  ^^ might  makes  right."  The  fact  is  that 
the  muscles  of  most  of  the  animals  are  much  big- 
ger than  ours,  and  the  animals  themselves  very 
much  stronger;  so  that  unless  we  had  an  intelli- 
gence which  God  placed  as  a  faculty  in  the  human 
soul  we  should  never  be  able  to  force  them  to  serve 
our  needs  and  obey  our  commands. 

7.  In  general,  there  are  two  kinds  of  muscles, 
voluntary  and  involuntary.  The  first  kind  are 
those  we  know  best,  and  are  on  the  outside  of  the 
body.  These  act  when  we  desire  them  to  act, 
though  on  account  of  the  habit  we  have  acquired, 
we  do  not  need  to  think  directly  of  them  at  the 


THE  MUSCLES 


19 


time.  For  instance,  when  you  walk,  yon  rest  your 
weight  on  one  leg,  and  the  muscles  of  the  other 
thigh  shorten  and  lift  the  foot  from  the  ground, 
carrying  it  forward  until  it  rests  on  the  ground 
in  advance  of  the  other.  Then  the  muscles  of  the 
calf  of  the  leg,  which  is  behind,  shorten  and  lift 
that  heel  from  the  ground, 
and  the  weight  of  the  body  is 
thrown  forward  on  the  foot 
ahead.  Then  the  muscles  of 
the  backward  thigh  contract 
and  lift  the  foot  up,  when  it 
swings  forward,  just  like  a 
pendulum,  till  it  again  strikes 
the  ground  ahead  of  the  other. 
Now  you  do  not  have  to  con- 
sider all  these  motions  every 
time  you  start  to  walk;  they 
follow  your  impulse  without 
further  deliberate  intention, 
after  you  have  once  acquired 
the  ability  to  walk. 

8.  We  sometimes  stand  in 
wonder  before  a  splendid  statue  of  a  horse  rearing 
away  back  on  his  hind  legs,  and  marvel  at  the 
skill  of  the  sculptor  who  could  make  the  charger 
rear  so  far,  without  letting  him  fall  over  back- 


Leg  Bones. 

A,  Thigh  (Femur) ;  B,  Tibia 
(Shinbone);     C,   Fibula; 

D,  Patella     (Kneecap) ; 

E,  Heelbone;    F,  Ankle- 
bone;  G,  Instep;  H,Toes. 


20  HEALTH   AND   HAPPINESS 

wards.  It  is  really  astonishing,  and  takes  onr 
breath  away.  Yet  it  is  not  nearly  so  wonderful 
as  the  act  of  walking.  But  we  are  so  accnstomed 
to  this  action  that  it  fails  to  make  any  impression. 
To  step  forward,  backward,  to  the  right,  to  the 
left,  to  run,  to  hop,  to  jump,  to  dance,  yet  preserve 
our  balance,  and  not  even  be  mindful  of  the  work- 
ing of  the  various  muscles  called  into  action, — all 
this  implies  a  power  given  by  God  to  man,  which 
immeasurably  surpasses  any  changeless  pose 
given  to  a  statue  by  a  sculptor. 

9.  There  are  other  muscles  over  which  you 
never  acquire  any  control  whatever,  and  these  are 
called  involuntary  muscles.  Examples  of  these 
are  the  heart  and  the  muscles  which  assist  in  the 
digestion  of  food.  Your  heart  begins  to  beat  long 
before  you  are  capable  of  thinking  about  it;  it 
works  all  through  the  night  while  you  are  asleep ; 
and  no  matter  how  much  you  might  desire,  you 
could  never  stop  its  steady  beating.  In  the  same 
way,  after  you  have  once  swallowed  your  food,  it 
is  acted  upon  and  moved  along  by  the  involuntary 
muscles,  without  any  necessity  of  your  bothering 
about  it  in  the  least.  We  can  exist  without  using 
the  voluntary  muscles,  but  if  the  involuntary  ones 
stopped  working,  we  could  not  live;  and  on  this 
account  our  Father  in  heaven  arranged  to  have 


THE  MUSCLES  21 

them  do  their  work  under  His  wise  direction  with- 
out troubling  us  with  the  care  of  them.  It  gives 
us  some  idea  of  the  magnificent  providence  of 
God  to  remember  that  the  operations  of  the  body, 
on  which  our  life  depends,  are  due  to  His  constant 
and  loving  assistance,  and  not  to  us. 

10.  The  muscles  constitute  forty-one  per  cent 
of  the  entire  weight  of  the  body;  and  in  them  is 
found  one-quarter  of  all  the  blood.  In  the  old 
Roman  Empire,  magistrates  used  to  be  preceded, 
when  they  went  about,  by  servants  who  bore  on 
their  shoulders  bundles  of  rods  called  fasces. 
These  rods  indicated  the  power  of  the  magistrates 
to  punish  any  persons  who  failed  to  observe  the 
law.  Many  of  the  early  Christians  were  flogged 
with  these  rods  when  they  refused  to  adore  the 
pagan  idols.  Now  if  we  should  examine  muscles 
under  the  microscope,  we  should  find  that  they 
are  made  up  of  bundles  of  small  fibres.  On  ac- 
count of  a  fancied  resemblance  between  them  and 
the  Roman  sign  of  authority,  these  fibres  are 
called  fasciculi,  or  little  fasces. 

11.  Most  muscles  end  in  a  strong,  tough,  white 
band  of  tissue,  called  a  tendon,  by  which  the 
muscle  is  attached  to  the  bone.  You  have  all 
probably  seen  tendons  on  Thanksgiving  Day  in 
the  drumstick  of  the  family  turkey.    You  can  feel 


22  HEALTH   AND   HAPPINESS 

them  in  your  own  wrists  by  closing  your  fists. 
The  largest  tendon  in  the  body  is  the  tendon  of 
Achilles,  which  is  the  end  of  the  calf  muscle,  and 
is  inserted  into  the  heel.  When  the  calf  shortens, 
the  tendon  is  pulled  up,  and  this  lifts  the  heel. 
It  got  its  name  from  a  fabled  Greek  warrior, 
whose  mother  dipped  him  in  the  mythical  river 
Styx.  This  was  the  stream  supposed  to  flow  be- 
tween time  and  eternity,  and  it  was  said  that  any 
mortal  who  was  dipped  in  its  waters  would  be 
rendered  proof  against  all  wounds.  The  mother 
held  her  child  by  this  tendon  while  she  immersed 
his  body,  and  thus  her  hand  prevented  the  water 
from  touching  that  part;  and  that  was  the  very 
place  where  he  received  a  wound  which  proved 
fatal  to  him.  Of  course  it  is  only  a  fable,  but  it 
gave  rise  to  the  name.  The  names  of  most  of  the 
muscles  and  tendons  are  derived  from  Greek  and 
Latin  words,  which  are  too  long  for  us  to  try  to 
remember. 

12.  Every  boy,  however,  is  familiar  with  the 
biceps  muscle  on  the  front  of  the  upper  arm,  which 
is  so  called  because  it  arises  from  two  heads.  The 
tendon  of  this  muscle  is  inserted  into  the  bones  of 
the  fore-arm,  and  when  the  muscle  is  shortened,  it 
forces  the  tendon  to  lift  these  bones,  and  thus  the 
elbow  is  bent. 


THE  MUSCLES 


23 


13.  The  process  by  which  the  muscle  is  short- 
ened is  exceedingly  interesting.  When  we  look 
at  a  piece  of  meat,  we  notice  that  the  flesh  is  firm 
and  solid,  but  the  muscle  in  the  living  body  is  not 
solid.  Most  of  its  substance  is  semi-fluid,  and 
is  held  in  its  position  by  innum- 
erable tiny  strands  of  delicate 
tissue.  ^  All  muscles  are  supplied 
with  nerves,  and  when  the  mes- 
sage travels  along  the  nerve  from 
the  brain  (where  we  form  the 
wish  to  make  some  movement), 
it  causes  the  muscle  to  contract, 
or  in  other  words,  to  shorten  and 
thicken. 

14.  But  also,  apart  from  the 
contraction,  which  is  due  to  the 
nerves,  there  is  an  elastic  power 
Some  Aem  Muscles,  in  the  muscles  themselves.  This 
\^^TeSdorS' ^coTS']  extraordluary  power  is  called  its 

d',  Ligament.  .        .       -,   -tx  i     i  i?     'j. 

irritability,  and  by  means  oi  it 
the  muscle  may  contract  even  when  the  nerve  is 
severed.  After  death  occurs,  the  muscles  become 
rigid  and  opaque,  due  to  the  fact  that  the  semi- 
fluid part  solidifies;  and  this  condition  of  the 
corpse  is  known  as  rigor  mortis. 


U  HEALTH  AND  HAPPINESS 

QUESTIONS 

1.  Of  what  use  are  the  bones'?  the  muscles? 

2.  Of  what  shape  are  the  muscles'? 

Which  is  the  longest  muscle,  and  why  is  it  so  named? 
Which  is  the  shortest  muscle,  and  why  is  it  so  called? 

3.  Where  is  the  diaphragm?     How  does  it  divide  the  trunk? 

4.  Compare  the  body  to  (a)  a  ship;   (5)  a  machine. 

5.  What  is  meat?     Who  eats  human  flesh? 
Why  is  it  right  to  kill  animals  for  foodt 

6.  Why  should  those  who  deny  the  existence  of  God  refrain 

from  eating? 

7.  How,  in  general,  are  muscles  divided? 
Describe  the  voluntary  part  of  walking. 

8.  Compare   the   act  of  walking  with   an  equestrian  statue. 

9.  What  are  the  involuntary  muscles?     Which  are  the  more 

important,  the  voluntary  or  the  involuntary?     Why? 

10.  How  much  of  the  body  is  muscular? 
How  much  blood  is  found  in  the  muscles? 
What  are  the  fasciculi? 

11.  Describe  a  tendon.     Where  can  tendons  be  felt? 
Why  is  the  tendon  of  Achilles  so  called? 

12.  How  do  you  bend  your  elbow? 

13.  Is  a  muscle  solid?    How  does  it  shorten? 

14.  What  is  rigor  mortis  f 


Chapter  III 

WHAT  EXERCISE  DOES 

1.  God  always  has  some  definite  end  in  view 
when  He  makes  anything.  Otherwise  He  would 
not  be  the  infinitely  wise  God  He  is.  Bnt  the  only 
way  that  anything  may  obtain  its  end  is  by  doing 
the  work  planned  for  it  by  its  Maker.  Otherwise 
it  becomes  abnormal,  which  means  unhealthy,  and 
dwindles  away  further  and  further  from  its  real 
goal  till  failure  and  ruin  overtake  it.  This  is  true 
of  the  man  who  neglects  the  end  for  which  he  was 
placed  on  this  earth,  and  uses  the  means,  which 
were  given  to  him  by  God  to  help  him  reach  his 
end,  for  the  sake  of  this  world,  or  for  his  own 
pleasure.  It  is  true  also  of  each  part  of  the  body 
of  man  that  it  must  do  its  allotted  work  in  order 
to  be  healthy.  Each  part  is  living,  and  therefore 
it  cannot  remain  idle  and  inactive,  as  if  it  were 
a  part  of  a  marble  statue.  Life  implies  action  and 
motion;  and  consequently  the  brain  must  have 
images,  the  lungs  must  expand  with  fresh  air,  the 
stomach  must  digest  food,  and  the  muscles  must 
have  exercise,  if  they  are  to  remain  alive. 

25 


26  HEALTH   AND   HAPPINESS 

2.  This  law,  which  is  universal,  applies  espe- 
cially to  young  people.  When  full  growth  is 
reached,  and  the  body  has  become  strong,  it  can 
stand  lack  of  care  better  than  in  the  growing 
period.  But  even  then,  if  a  leg  is  broken  and 
forced  to  remain  still  and  bandaged  up,  after  a 
little  time  it  will  be  found  to  be  a  good  deal  smaller 
than  its  fellow.  The  same  thing  is  seen  in  children 
who  stay  much  in  the  house,  and  who  play  very 
little.  They  are  pale  and  thin  and  look  unhealthy, 
in  comparison  to  those  who  spend  a  large  amount 
of  time  in  the  open  air,  romping  and  running 
about. 

3.  The  muscles  are  penetrated  everywhere  by 
blood  vessels,  and  exercise  helps  the  circulation  in 
this  way.  When  the  muscle  contracts,  the  fibres 
shut  down  on  the  veins  so  that  the  blood  cannot 
flow  forward.  At  the  same  time  there  are  valves 
in  the  veins  which  prevent  the  backward  flow ;  and 
as  the  heart  is  always  pumping  the  blood  onward^ 
the  veins  become  swollen  and  distended.  Now  as 
soon  as  the  muscle  ceases  to  contract,  the  pent-up 
blood  rushes  on,  just  like  a  river  breaking  through 
a  dam.  When  an  action  takes  place  which  re- 
quires the  use  of  many  muscles  in  rapid  succes- 
sion, the  whole  circulation  is  affected.  This  makes 
the  heart  work  faster  in  order  to  supply  the  blood 


WHAT  EXERCISE  DOES  ^7 

demanded  by  the  exercising  muscles.  It  makes  the 
lungs  work  more  quickly  in  order  to  supply  the 
oxygen  needed  by  the  greater  quantity  of  blood 
sent  to  them.  For  you  must  know  that  it  is  the 
oxygen  in  the  blood  which  supplies  the  muscle  with 
the  energy  needed  for  the  work  it  performs. 

4.  Muscles  are  warmer  when  they  are  working 
than  when  they  are  quiet.  This  comes  from  the 
fact  that  the  muscular  contraction  always  causes 
the  combustion,  or  burning  up,  of  the  food  supply 
which  is  stored  up  in  the  semi-fluid  part  of  the 
muscles.  This  is  why  a  person  looks  and  feels 
hot  after  any  vigorous  exercise. 

5.  Why  do  you  suppose  that  a  person  gets  out 
of  breath  from  taking  exercise,  as  playing  base- 
ball, or  football!  Well,  it  is  due  to  the  fact  that 
the  tightening  and  loosening  of  the  muscles  during 
exercise  force  into  the  blood,  which  is  flowing 
through  them,  a  quantity  of  carbonic  acid  gas. 
This  gas  is  formed  in  the  process  of  the  combus- 
tion of  which  we  were  just  speaking,  and  would  be 
a  poison  to  the  body,  if  it  were  allowed  to  remain. 
So  the  blood  carries  it  as  quickly  as  possible  to  the 
lungs,  and  they  hasten  to  get  rid  of  it  by  working 
as  fast  as  they  can.  We  shall  see  how  they  work 
later  on. 

6.  Another  interesting  question  is  why  we  get 


^8  HEALTH   AND   HAPPINESS 

tired  wlien  we  exercise,  or  use  our  muscles.  The 
answer  to  this  has  been  found  in  the  physio- 
logical laboratory,  where  the  muscles  of  an  animal 
or  a  frog  are  studied.  The  muscle  of  a  frog  keeps 
its  vitality  for  some  time  after  it  has  been  removed 
from  the  frog's  body.    So  first  it  is  dissected,  then 


Knocking  a  High  Fly.  ^ 

placed  on  a  glass  plate,  and  connected  with  a 
smoked  paper  by  slender  electric  wires.  When 
contractions  occur  in  the  muscle,  the  wires  make 
marks  on  the  paper,  and  in  this  way  the  slightest 
change  is  recorded  and  can  be  observed. 

7.  When  an  electric  current  is  applied  to  such 
a  dissected  muscle,  it  is  found  that  while  the  first 


WHAT  EXERCISE   DOES  29 

contractions  show  increased  strength  up  to  a  cer- 
tain point,  after  a  while  they  begin  to  decrease, 
and  gradually  slow  down  until  they  stop  alto- 
gether. When  this  happens,  if  such  a  muscle  is 
washed  with  some  blood  (or  with  a  salt  solution, 
which  is  the  equivalent  of  the  blood),  it  regains 
its  power  of  contraction  almost  at  once. 

8.  It  is  also  noticed  that  if  the  washings  from 
the  muscle  which  has  lost  its  power  to  work  are  at 
once  injected  into  a  fresh  muscle,  this  muscle  also 
loses  its  ability  to  perform  any  work.  This  fact 
demonstrates  that  some  poisonous  things  have 
been  produced  by,  the  exercise ;  that  is,  that  some 
change  has  occurred  in  the  materials  that  were  in 
the  muscular  tissue  when  it  was  at  rest,  and  which 
were  required  in  order  that  the  muscle  might 
w^ork. 

9.  The  muscle  is  like  a  machine  which  carries  its 
own  supply  of  fuel.  The  fuel  of  the  muscle  is  a 
substance  called  glycogen,  which  is  animal  starch, 
and  this  gradually  is  changed  to  sugar.  During 
exercise,  this  sugar  is  converted  into  other  sub- 
stances called  lactic  acid  and  carbon  dioxide,  which 
are  poison  for  the  body;  and  as  more  and  more 
work  is  done,  these  two  poisons  are  heaped  up  and 
hinder  the  muscular  fibres  from  stirring  as  they 
should  in  response  to  the  stimulation.    The  stim- 


30  HEALTH   AND   HAPPINESS 

ulation  continues,  and  the  muscle  is  not  able  to 
respond;  this  causes  the  feeling  which  we  call 
"fatigue.''  It  is  like  the  situation  that  would 
occur  in  an  automobile  which  was  forced  to  run 
Avhile  its  engine  was  being  choked  with  dust  and 
dirt. 

10.  Work  may  be  continued  until  death  is  the 
result,  as  when  slaves  were  made  to  run  long  dis- 
tances, or  soldiers  fought  on  for  days  without  any 
periods  of  rest.  Horses  have  dropped  dead  at 
the  end  of  a  day's  hard  journey;  and  carrier 
pigeons  sometimes  drop  down  to  the  earth  during 
a  flight.  In  all  such  cases,  death  is  usually  caused 
by  the  overpowering  amount  of  poisons  heaped  up 
in  the  body,  which  are  formed  so  quickly  that  the 
blood  has  not  the  time  to  get  rid  of  them.  This 
explains  also  why  exercising  merely  one  part  for 
a  long  time  causes  the  whole  body  t^feel  fatigued. 
It  makes  clear  the  danger  of  over-exercising,  and 
that  is  an  important  thing  to  bear  in  mind.  Exer- 
cise is  very  necessary,  as  iias  been  said,  to  keep 
the  muscles  healthy  and  to  help  our  growth,  but 
it  is  prudent  to  use  caution,  and  to  exercise  under 
direction,  as  otherwise  much  harm  may  be  done. 

11.  The  voluntary  muscles  are,  for  the  most 
part,  arranged  in  pairs,  which  have  an  antago- 
nistic effect.     Otherwise,  when  one  muscle  con- 


WHAT  EXERCISE  DOES 


31 


tracted,  and  thus  moved  a  bone  at  a  joint,  there 
would  not  be  anything  to  straighten  the  joint  out 
again.    For  instance,  the  biceps  pulls  up  the  fore- 


Wide  World  Photos 


A  Close  Race. 


arm  at  the  elbow  when  it  shortens,  but  it  cannot 
replace  it  in  position.  It  has  to  be  pulled  back  by 
another  muscle,  the  action  of  which  just  opposes 
that  of  the  biceps.    After  you  have  bent  your  arm. 


32  HEALTH   AND   HAPPINESS 

put  your  other  hand  on  the  back  of  the  upper  arm 
while  you  make  it  straight  again.  You  will  feel 
a  muscle  tighten,  which  is  called  the  triceps.  It 
gets  its  name  from  the  fact  that  it  arises  from 
three  heads,  just  as  the  biceps  arises  from  two. 
The  triceps  is  inserted  into  the  back  of  the  arm 
bones,  and  so  when  it  contracts,  it  pulls  them  to- 
gether in  a  straight  line.  This  is  an  example  of 
what  happens  in  all  parts  of  the  body,  all  the 
muscles  acting  always  in  the  order  given  them  by 
the  Master-worker,  Avhose  knowledge  is  without 
measure. 

12.  After  hard  work  or  exercise,  it  is  natural  to 
feel  tired,  and  one  needs  to  take  a  rest.  The 
harder  the  work,  the  longer  is  the  rest  required. 
The  rest  provides  the  opportunity  for  the  blood  to 
wash  out  the  accumulation  of  poisonous  materials 
from  the  tissues,  and  to  replace  them  with  the 
necessary  oxygen  and  glycogen.  Fatigue  is  there- 
fore recovered  from  sooner  in  a  room  where  there 
is  a  good  supply  of  fresh  air  than  in  a  stuffy  place. 
Why? 

13.  A  hot  bath  also  usually  helps  to  make  one 
feel  rested  after  laborious  exercise,  by  increasing 
the  circulation  and  thus  removing  the  waste  mat- 
ters more  quickly.  Sometimes  a  quick  cold  shower 
may  have  the  same  good  effect.    It  is  also  possible 


WHAT  EXERCISE  DOES  33 

to  ward  off  fatigue  to  some  extent  by  taking  a  cool 
shower  before  beginning  to  exercise. 

14.  After  unusual  exercise,  especially  if  pro- 
longed, one  will  find  the  muscles  somewhat  stiff 
and  sore.  In  some  cases,  this  feeling  does  not 
arise  until  some  hours  after  the  exercise  is  fin- 
ished. But  do  not  be  dismayed  by  this  nor  pre- 
vented from  ever  again  attempting  that  form  of 
exercise.  Far  from  being  a  bad  sign,  it  is  really 
an  indication  that  the  body  is  preparing  for  such 
work  in  the  future,  by  increasing  the  strength  of 
the  muscles  and  storing  up  in  them  a  greater 
amount  of  energy. 

15.  Thus  all  the  various  muscles  work  together 
and  help  each  other,  and  all  the  blood  vessels  and 
nerves  and  the  organs  of  the  entire  body  cooper- 
ate with  the  most  unremitting  constancy  and  faith- 
fulness to  assist  the  muscles  in  their  work  of 
carrying  out  our  will.  If  we  reflect  on  this  it  will 
teach  us  that,  in  like  manner,  we  should  all  work 
together  too,  and  try  to  help  each  other,  since  we 
are  all  members  of  the  mystical  body  of  Christ, 
our  Lord,  and  loyally  and  steadily  strive  with  all 
our  power  for  the  accomplishment  of  the  holy  will 
of  Grod,  and  for  the  establishment  of  the  kingdom 
of  His  Divine  Son  here  on  earth. 


S4  HEALTH   AND   HAPPINESS 

QUESTIONS 

1.  What  does  life  imply'?    Why  must  each  part  of  the  body 

have  some  exercise? 

2.  What  happens  to  bodies,  or  parts  of  bodies,  which  have 

no  exercise  ? 

3.  Why  do  the  heart  and  lungs  work  harder  when  muscles 

are  contracting? 

4.  Why-  do  we  get  hot  when  exercising? 

5.  Why  do  we  get  out  of  breath? 

6.  Why  do  we  feel  tired? 

7.  What  happens  to  a  tired  muscle  when  treated  with  salt 

solution  ? 

8.  How  is  it  shown  that  exercise  has  produced  a  poison  in 

the  muscle? 

9.  What  is  the  fuel  of  the  muscle?     What  happens  to  the 

fuel  during  exercise? 

10.  How  does  death  result  from  over-exercising?     What  cau- 

tion should  be  used? 

11.  What  is  meant  by  saying  that  muscles  are  antagonistic? 

Give  examples.  ^_ 

12.  What  is  the  best  way  to  recover  from  fatigue? 

13.  How  does  a  hot  bath  help? 

14.  Is  stiffness  or  soreness  a  good  sign,  or  a  bad  one?     Why? 

15.  What  may  we  learn  from  the  mutual  cooperation  of  the 

different  parts  of  the  body? 


Chapter  IV 
HOW  TO  EXERCISE 

1.  In  the  matter  of  exercise,  there  are  two  ex- 
tremes to  be  avoided ;  too  little  and  too  much.  One 
is  quite  as  bad  as  the  other.  But  we  have  seen 
that  some  exercise  is  necessary,  as  otherwise  the 
muscles  cannot  grow,  and  the  whole  body  cannot 
remain  healthy  and  strong.  Exercise  that  is 
looked  upon  as  a  task  or  a  hardship  will  not  pro- 
duce half  the  benefit  as  will  the  same  exercise  re- 
garded as  a  game.  It  is  like  what  happens  in 
regard  to  eating.  If  a  child  sits  down  to  dinner 
with  a  frown  on  his  face,  and  grumbles  at  the  lamb 
because  he  wanted  beef,  his  food  will  not  do  him 
half  the  good  received  by  his  brother  and  sister, 
who  ask  God's  blessing  before  they  take  their 
place  at  table,  and  remember  thankfully  that  God 
has  provided  it  for  them  out  of  His  bountiful 
mercy. 

2.  In  the  same  way,  the  boy  who  runs  to  the 
store  on  an  errand  for  his  mother  with  a  merry 
whistle  on  his  lips,  will  get  the  same,  or  even  more 

35 


36 


HEALTH   AND   HAPPINESS 


beneficial  exercise,  as  if  he  ran  a  race  at  school 
amid  the  plaudits  of  his  companions.  For  a  girl, 
the  same  thing  holds  true.  If  she  wears  a  cheerful 
smile,  and  looks  upon  her  work  as  a  privilege, 
when  helping  in  her  mother 's  household  cares,  she 
is  doing  at  least  the  same  amount  of  good  for  her 
body,  and  probably  much  more  for  her  soul,  than 


Wide  World  Photos 


A  Marathon  Race. 


if  she  were  skipping  the  rope  or  dancing. 
General  housework,  as  it  is  called,  furnishes 
the  best  kind  of  exercise,  as  it  brings  into  action 
almost  all  the  muscles  of  the  body.  Just  contrast 
the  appearance  of  the  average  housemaid,  who 
really  likes  her  place,  with  a  shop-girl  who  stands 
behind  a  counter  all  day  in  a  stuffy  store.  Boys 
who  enter  heartily  into  their  share  of  the  work 


HOW  TO  EXERCISE  37 

around  the  house,  and  are  glad  to  be  called  upon 
when  coal  is  needed  from  the  bin,  or  wood  has  to 
be  chopped,  or  apples  or  cherries  are  to  be  picked, 
are  not  only  gaining  strength  bj  invigorating 
exercise,  but  are  making  themselves  beloved  by 
all  at  home,  and  also  are  piling  up  treasures  in 
heaven. 

3.  We  have  said  that  oxygen  is  necessary  for 
muscular  energy,  and  therefore  working  in  the 
fresh  air  is  of  much  more  benefit  than  working  in 
air  that  is  not  fresh.  Outdoor  exercise  brings 
better  results  than  exercise  taken  in  a  gymnasium. 
When  playing  baseball  one  exercises  a  very  large 
number  of  muscles — while  throwing  to  home  plate 
from  left  field,  stooping  to  catch  a  grounder,  jump- 
ing to  reach  a  high  fly  or  swinging  the  bat  and 
knocking  a  home  run.  At  the  same  time,  the  player 
is  training  himself  in  precision  and  coolness  and 
obedience.  If  those  who  play  ball  will  only  avoid 
the  use  of  improper  language,  and  refuse  to  have 
anything  to  do  with  gambling,  the  game  will  do 
much  to  make  them  men  in  every  sense  of  the 
word. 

4.  Swimming  is  another  splendid  form  of  exer- 
cise ;  moreover,  it  is  an  accomplishment  that  every 
boy  and  girl  should  possess.  It  is  not  hard  to 
learn  when  one  is  young  ;■  once  acquired  the  art  is 


38  HEALTH   AND   HAPPINESS 

never  lost.  Knowing  liow  to  swim  may  mean  the 
saving  of  yonr  life  some  day,  or  the  life  of  some 
one  else,  which  you  prize  dearer  than  yonr  own. 
The  breast  stroke  is  the  one  most  frequently  used ; 
it  consists  simply  in  lying  on  the  front  of  the  body 
in  the  water,  bringing  the  hands  together  and 
then  separating  them  as  far  as  possible  with  a 
backward  and  downward  motion;  at  the  same 
time,  the  legs  are  drawn  np  to  the  body  and  then 
thro\\m  back  and  away  from  it.  The  main  point 
is  to  get  accustomed  to  the  feel  of  the  water  in  the 
face,  and  not  to  become  alarmed  at  a  little  splash- 
ing. Some  never  learn  to  swim,  because  they  are 
afraid  when  a  wave  dashes  some  spray  over  their 
heads,  even  though  they  do  not  feel  any  fear  when 
they  fling  the  water  all  over  themselves  and  the 
floor  at  their  morning  ablutions.  Remember  that 
the  water  will  hold  you  up,  if  you  just  lie  quietly 
on  your  back  with  your  arms  stretched  out.  Once 
you  acquire  confidence,  the  rest  will  be  easy.  How- 
ever, do  not  be  reckless.  Do  not  jump  into  deep 
water  before  you  have  really  learned  the  art,  and 
never  go  in  swimming  alone.  Do  not  stay  in  the 
water  until  you  are  chilled,  and  come  out  when 
you  are  tired.  Otherwise  you  may  get  a  cramp. 
A  cramp  means  that  a  muscle  has  contracted  and 
refuses  to  relax.    Even  if  that  should  happen,  do 


HOW  TO  EXERCISE  39 

not  get  frightened.  "When  it  does  occur,  remember 
that  you  can  still  float  on  the  back  by  simply  keep- 
ing quiet;  whereas  if  you  lose  your  presence  of 
mind  and  jump  and  toss  about,  you  will  only  suc- 
ceed in  getting  your  head  under  the  water.  When 
you  get  ashore,  rub  the  muscle  until  it  relaxes. 

5.  Confidence  and  calmness,  then,  are  two  essen- 
tials for  successful  swimming.  Almost  equally,  if 
not  more  important,  is  natural  and  deep  breath- 
ing. Do  not  try  to  hold  the  breath.  That  would 
tire  you  very  soon,  and  the  lungs  need  to  be  sup- 
plied constantly  with  fresh  air,  which  mainly  sup- 
ports your  weight  in  the  water.  Lying  out  as  flat 
as  possible  is  also  a  great  help  in  floating,  as  well 
as  keeping  the  feet  under,  and  the  nose  out  of  the 
water.  If  you  have  not  yet  learned  to  swim,  take 
advantage  of  the  very  first  opportunity  to  do  so. 
After  a  swim,  do  not  sit  around  in  a  wet  suit, 
unless  the  day  is  very  warm;  use  a  rough  towel 
and  rub  vigorously  before  dressing. 

6.  Wrestling  is  another  good  form  of  exercise, 
as  also  is  boxing ;  the  latter  is  a  very  useful  accom- 
plishment for  a  boy  to  have.  While  football  pro- 
vides vigorous  exercise,  it  is  rather  too  strenuous 
for  little  folks,  and  severe  injuries  are  often  re- 
ceived in  that  game. 

7.  In  the  winter,  the  cold  snappy  air  causes  one 


40 


HEALTH  AND   HAPPINESS 


to  take  some  sort  of  exercise,  consequently  cli- 
mates that  have  cold  weather  at  some  time  during 
the  year  are  generally  much  more  healthful  than 
those  where  the  temperature  never  approaches 
the  freezing  point.  The  winter  is  a  glorious  sea- 
son for  such  sports  as  skating,  coasting,  building 


A  Football  Game. 

snow-forts  and  having  sham  battles.  Skating  is 
another  art  everyone  should  strive  to  acquire ;  for, 
like  swimming,  once  learned,  it  is  never  lost. 

8.  There  is  one  reason  or  another  why  this  game 
or  that,  or  this  form  of  exercise  or  that,  fails  to 
attract  various  people.  It  may  be  the  season  of 
the  year,  it  may  be  the  weather,  it  may  be  the  place 
or  the  crowd.    But  there  is  one  exercise  which  can 


HOW  TO  EXERCISE  41 

be  relished  by  all,  by  old  as  well  as  young,  at 
nearly  all  times,  and  in  nearly  all  places.  It  com- 
bines in  itself  almost  all  the  good  points  which  are 
to  be  found  in  all  other  games.  The  number  en- 
joying this  exercise  may  be  small  or  quite  large, 
or  the  individual  may  indulge  in  it  alone.  It  is 
the  very  first  thing  taught  to  the  baby,  and  the 
oldest  old  lady  never  forgets  it.  Have  you  guessed 
it?  Of  course;  it  is  walking.  But  to  get  real 
results,  one  must  ivalh.  A  good,  lively  stride  at  a 
fairly  rapid  pace  on  a  cool,  bracing  day  is  worth 
ever  so  much  more  than  a  mere  stroll,  or  lazy 
saunter.  It  helps  also  to  have  some  definite  ob- 
jective towards  which  you  walk,  rather  than  to 
walk  nowhere  in  particular.  The  youth  who  gets 
up  in  the  morning  of  a  beautiful  autumn  day, 
takes  a  brisk  walk  to  church,  then  back  after  Mass 
and  Holy  Communion,  will  have  a  much  better 
appetite  at  table,  as  well  as  a  much  better  start 
for  the  day,  than  one  who  is  dragged  from  the 
pillow  at  the  very  last  call  for  breakfast. 

9.  For  walking,  as  for  all  other  forms  of  exer- 
cise, the  clothing  must  be  loose  and  comfortable. 
Shoes  in  particular  must  be  of  the  proper  size; 
high  heels  and  narrow  toes,  no  matter  how  fash- 
ionable they  may  appear,  are  always  to  be  avoided. 
It  is  a  fact  that  serious  internal  injuries,  as  well 


42  HEALTH   AND   HAPPINESS 

as  interference  with  many  muscles  of  the  thigh 
and  the  leg  and  changes  in  the  shape  of  the  foot 
are  often  dne  directly  to  footgear  which  is  abso- 
lutely ill-suited  to  the  anatomy  of  the  unfortunate 
foot,  whose  welfare  is  sacrificed  to  the  vanity  of 
the  wearer. 

10.  Another  important  thing  connected  with  the 
muscles  is  the  poise  or  bearing  of  the  body.  It  is 
evident,  on  a  little  observation,  that  a  great  many 
people  do  not  know  how  to  carry  their  own  bodies. 
They  do  not  stand,  they  do  not  sit,  they  do  not 
walk  correctly.  The  abdomen  is  allowed  to  sag 
forward,  the  shoulders  are  permitted  to  droop,  the 
head  hangs  down  on  the  chest,  the  knees  are 
loosely  bent,  the  chest  is  flat,  the  spine  is  curved 
or  twisted.  One,  and  sometimes  all,  of  these  de- 
formities are  not  uncommon.  It  is  a  good  thing 
to  remember  that  your  height  may  be  affected  by 
your  habitual  pose  of  body.  Just  look  around  you 
and  observe  how  various  people  stand  and  sit,  and 
then  ask  a  candid  friend  how  you  hold  yourself. 
As  will  be  seen  from  the  illustration,  the  face,  the 
chest  and  the  toes  should  be  in  a  line  when  stand- 
ing; the  heels  should  be  separated  by  the  length 
of  the  foot,  and  the  toes  turned  slightly  outward. 
That  same  attitude  should,  as  far  as  possible,  be 
sustained  while  walking,  swinging  the  arms  at  the 


HOW  TO  EXERCISE  4gl 


^^^- 


i-  ^, 


Which  is  Standing  Correctly? 


44  HEALTH   AND   HAPPINESS 

sides,  and  taking  an  average  stride.  Naturally  tlie 
girl  will  cultivate  a  shorter  step  than  the  boy,  but 
it  should  not  be  a  mincing  gait.  The  former  wil- 
lowy glide  has  changed  for  the  more  athletic  pace 
to  the  improvement  in  the  health,  as  well  as  the 
appearance,  of  the  gentler  sex. 

11.  We  live  in  an  age  of  such  a  constant  state  of 
rush  that  we  try  to  cover  distances  in  the  shortest 
space  of  time,  and,  consequently,  jump  on  a  car 
when  we  should  walk,  use  the  elevator  when  the 
climbing  of  stairs  is  just  what  we  need,  and  gen- 
erally we  strive  to  avoid  all  unnecessary  exertion. 
Climbing  steps  is  only  second  best  to  climbing 
hills;  and  the  trolley,  and  especially  the  auto- 
mobile, are  largely  responsible  for  faulty  attitudes 
and  shiftless  poses. 

12.  In  order  to  develop  the  body  equally  on  both 
sides,  be  on  your  guard  against  using  right-handed 
movements  only.  A  physician  whose  practice  was 
very  large,  and  who  could  ill  afford  any  long 
period  of  idleness,  got  a  bad  wound  in  his  right 
hand.  He  had  always  worked  with  it  and  his 
practice  suffered  considerably  and  his  own  health 
deteriorated  from  worry  and  inaction,  before  he 
had  acquired  any  proficiency  in  using  the  left  arm 
and  hand.    The  same  caution  is,  of  course,  needed 


HOW  TO   EXERCISE  45 

for  those  who  are  left-handed;  this  is  something 
that  they  should  immediately  remedy. 

13.  As  a  supplement  to  activity  in  the  open  air, 
and  when  the  state  of  the  weather  renders  this 
inadvisable,  some  form  of  indoor  gymnastic  exer- 
cise may  be  undertaken  with  profit.  But  this 
should  be  done  always  under  the  direction  of  an 
instructor,  who  will  prevent  strain  in  the  first 
bursts  of  enthusiasm,  and  make  the  training  sym- 
metrical. The  question  of  an  instructor  is  an  im- 
portant one.  There  are  instructors  who  do  not 
know  the  rudiments  of  gymnastics  as  well  as  their 
pupils.  The  daily  drill,  which  is  a  matter  of  rou- 
tine in  many  classes,  is  often  a  pathetic  sight ;  it  is 
worse  than  a  waste  of  time.  To  be  of  any  benefit, 
there  must  be  a  feeling  of  exhilaration  during  the 
calisthenics,  combined  with  an  intelligent  realiza- 
tion of  what  the  exercise  is  intended  to  produce. 
Attention  must  be  paid  to  correct  position  and 
deep  breathing,  and  real  earnestness  should  be 
put  into  each  movement. 

14.  Formal  exercises  are  for  the  purpose  of 
bringing  into  play  the  muscles  which  our  ordinary 
actions  do  not  employ.  People  whose  occupations 
are  of  such  a  nature  that  they  commonly  make  use 
of  all  their  muscles  do  not  need  any  other  exercise 
than  their  work.    But  only  professional  acrobats 


46  HEALTH   AND   HAPPINESS 

fulfil  this  condition.  However,  the  main  thing  is 
not  the  exercise  Itself,  but  the  management  of  the 
body  between  the  times  for  the  exercise.  The 
effect  of  a  daily  drill  is  nullified  if  before  and  after 
it  no  attempt  is  made  to  hold  oneself  correctly 
when  sitting  and  standing. 

15.    A  few  general  hints  in  regard  to  exercise : 

1.  A  little  each  day  is  better  than  much  one  day 

followed  by  none  for  several  days. 

2.  Correctness  in  position  is  of  utmost  impor- 

tance during  exercise  and  after  it. 

3.  Exercise  will  do  more  for  the  appearance  and 

beauty  of  the  body  than  any  amount  of  face- 
washes  and  creams. 

4.  Exercise  is  just  as  necessary  for  girls  as  for 

boys. 

5.  It  should  never  be  taken  immediately  after 

meals.    The  digestive  organs  need  an  extra 
supply  of  blood  at  that  time. 

6.  All  parts  of  the  body  were  made  to  be  used; 

therefore  none  should  be  left  without  exer- 
cise. 

7.  Clothing  should  be  loose  and  comfortable. 

8.  Shoes  must  be  large  enough,  with  broad  toes 

and  low  heels. 


HOW  TO  EXERCISE  47 

9.  Avoid  excesses.    Do  not  try  things  above  yonr 
strength. 
10.  Exercise  ont  of  doors  as  much  as  possible. 

16.  There  are  very  important  muscles  in  the 
face,  Avhich  are  constantly  being  used.  Every 
word,  every  thought  writes  its  impress  there.  Our 
inmost  feelings  are  reflected  in  the  facial  expres- 
sion. Sorrow  causes  one  set  of  muscles  to  con- 
tract, joy  another.  This  is  so  natural  that  it  is 
very  difficult  to  conceal  from  an  observer  what  is 
passing  in  one 's  mind.  We  learn  the  character  of 
the  person  from  looking  at  the  face.  If  we  desire 
to  have  a  cheerful  and  happy  expression,  we  must 
banish  from  our  hearts  all  habitual  ill-will,  and 
anything  that  is  opposed  to  kindliness  and  genial- 
ity. 

17.  So  strongly  are  our  facial  muscles  influ- 
enced by  our  thoughts  and  feelings,  that  people 
who  are  not  blood  relations  acquire  a  striking 
resemblance,  if  they  have  a  strong  affection  for 
each  other.  This  is  often  seen  in  the  case  of  a 
loving  husband  and  wife,  who  have  borne  the  trials 
and  shared  the  joys  of  a  long  domestic  life  with 
ever-increasing  mutual  love.  Since  this  rule  is 
universal,  it  must  also  apply  to  our  relations  with 
our  Blessed  Lord;  and  those  who  love  Him  very 
much,  and  try  to  imitate  Him  as  much  as  possible 


48  HEALTH   AND   HAPPINESS 

here  on  earth,  will  be  surprised,  when  they  reach 
their  true  home  in  heaven,  to  find  how  much  like 
Him  they  have  become. 

QUESTIONS 

1.  Why  is  exercise  necessary? 
What  caution  is  to  be  obseri^ed*? 

2.  Is  the  spirit  in  which  exercise  is  taken  of  any  importance? 
Does  housework  provide  good  exercise? 

3.  Why  is  outdoor  exercise  of  more  benefit  than  indoor  ? 
What  is  your  opinion  of  baseball? 

4.  What  do  you  think  of  swimming  as  a  form  of  exercise? 
How  may  it  be  learned  ?    What  is  meant  by  a  cramp  ? 

5.  What  qualities  are  needed  by  a  swimmer? 
Why  is  it  best  not  to  hold  the  breath? 

6.  What  are  some  good  forms  of  exercise?     Name  the  good 

points  of  each. 

7.  What  kind  of  climate  is  the  most  healthful? 

8.  What  is  the  exercise  which  all  may  take  with  profit? 
How  is  it  best  performed? 

9.  What  are  the  requirements  in  regard  to  apparel? 

10.  Apart  from  the  matter  of  exercise,  of  how  much  importance 

are  the  muscles? 

11.  What  is  largely  responsible  for  improper  positions  of  the 

body? 

12.  What  precautions  are  to  be  taken  in  the  matter  of  bodily 

development  ? 

13.  When  outdoor  exercise  is  inadvisable,  what  may  serve  as 

a  substitute?     How  should  this  be  done? 

14.  How  is  the  effect  of  exercise  destroyed? 

15.  Name  a  few  hints  in  regard  to  exercise. 

16.  How  do  muscles  affect  facial  expression? 

17.  Apply  this  to  our  Blessed  Lord, 


Chapter  V 
THE  COVERING  OF  THE  BODY 


THE    SKIN 


1.  The  skin  is  not  a  mnscle,  bnt  on  account  of  the 
muscles  attached  to  it,  it  is  capable  of  contracting 
and  relaxing.  It  is  not  a  single  covering,  but  is 
composed  of  two  coats.  The  upper  one  is  the 
epidermis,  the  lower  is  the  dermis.  You  may  have 
burned  your  finger  at  some  time,  and  a  blister 
formed,  containing  fluid,  or  serum,  as  it  is  called. 
The  part  of  the  blister  over  the  serum  was  the  epi- 
dermis; when  it  broke,  and  the  fluid  was  drained 
away,  the  muscle  was  not  exposed  (unless  the  burn 
was  very  severe) ;  but  you  saw  a  thin  pink  tissue, 
the  dermis.  In  the  dermis  are  the  nerves,  the 
blood  vessels,  and  the  glands.  The  blood  vessels 
bring  the  necessary  nourishment  to  the  skin. 
Through  the  nerves  we  have  the  sense  of  touch, 
which  is  so  wonderful  a  gift  of  Grod,  that  through 
it  alone,  children  who  are  born  blind  and  deaf  and 
dumb,  may  acquire  a  knowledge  of  literature,  and 

49 


50 


HEALTH   AND   HAPPINESS 


a  skill  in  music,  that  some  children  who  are  blessed 
with  all  five  senses  never  obtain.  The  most  re- 
markable examples  of  this  in  recent  years  are 
Tommy  Stringer  and  Helen  Keller. 


Section  Through  the  Skin,  from  Model. 

A,  Epidermis;  B  to  B',  Dermis  or  True  Skin;  C,  Papillae;  D,  Sweat  Glands; 
E,  Duct  from  Sweat  Gland;  F,  Hair;  G,  Sebaceous  Gland;  H,  Hair  Fol- 
licle;   K,  Fat  Globules;    L,  Small  Blood  Vessels. 

2.  The  blood  vessels  break  up  into  such  fine 
divisions,  and  are  distributed  so  generally  through 
the  skin  that  no  matter  where  a  cut  is  made,  blood 


THE  COVERING  OF  THE  BODY  51 

will  flow.  If  one  is  healthy,  and  the  hlood  is  pure, 
almost  as  soon  as  a  wound  occurs,  repair  begins, 
and  in  a  very  short  time,  the  skin  is  healed  by  the 
formation  of  new  tissue. 

3.  The  epidermis  is  intended  to  afford  protec- 
tion to  the  delicate  parts  beneath ;  consequently  it 
is  thickest  where  there  is  apt  to  be  most  pressure, 
for  instance,  in  the  palm  of  the  hands  and  on  the 
soles  of  the  feet.  Undue  pressure  at  any  spot 
causes  a  great  increase  of  epidermal  cells  there; 
and  so  a  corn  on  a  toe  is  simply  the  piled  up  cells 
pressing  down  on  the  sensitive  nerves  in  the 
dermis  below.  Removal  of  the  growth  does  not 
cure  the  corn,  unless  the  pressure  is  also  removed 
by  changing  the  shape  of  the  shoe.  Calluses  on 
the  hands  come  from  the  same  cause,  and  are  due 
to  the  demands  of  one's  employment,  or  arise  in 
the  course  of  some  sport.  Every  boy  who  plays 
baseball  finds  them  on  his  palms  after  he  indulges 
in  a  few  games. 

THE   NAn.S 

4.  The  nails  are  for  the  purpose  of  protecting 
the  surfaces  over  which  they  grow.  They  also  in- 
crease the  delicacy  of  the  sense  of  touch,  and  help- 
the  fingers  in  picking  up  things.  They  grow  from 
folds  of  the  skin.     Can  you  tell  the  parts  of  ani- 


52  HEALTH    AND    HAPPINESS 

mals  and  birds  which  bear  some  resemblance  to 
our  nails'?  If  there  is  a  curvature  in  the  nail,  it 
is  called  a  parrot-back  nail.  If  there  is  a  depres- 
sion, it  is  known  as  a  spoon-nail.  A  hang-nail  is 
a  shred  of  the  epidermis  at  the  edge  of  the  nail, 
and  should  be  clipped  otf,  not  pulled  out.  A  felon 
is  an  abscess  of  the  structures  about  the  nail. 
When  it  forms,  it  should  be  poulticed.  If  ne- 
glected it  may  become  deep-seated  and  involve  the 
finger-bone. 

5.  Great  care  should  be  given  to  the  nails  and 
they  must  receive  daily  attention,  if  they  are  to 
look  neat.  Biting  them  ruins  their  shape  and 
appearance ;  and  it  generally  shows  an  undesirable 
nervousness.  They  should  be  filed,  rather  than 
cut;  a  knife  must  never  be  used  on  them.  The 
nails  on  the  toes  should  always  be  cut,  or  better, 
filed,  straight  across,  not  rounded  at  the  corners. 
If  this  simple  rule  is  followed,  ingrowing  nails  will 
be  avoided. 

THE    HAIR 

6.  The  hair  is  to  man  what  fur  is  to  animals,  or 
feathers  to  birds.  Animals  and  birds  need  their 
covering  in  order  to  keep  warm.  We  do  not  need 
hair  for  this  purpose,  for  God  has  endowed  us 
with  the  intelligence  which  enables  us  to  provide 


THE  COVERING  OF  THE  BODY 


53 


54  HEALTH   AND   HAPPINESS 

ourselves  with  other  means  of-  warmth.  On  the 
greater  portion  of  the  body,  the  hairs  are  short 
and  very  fine.  In  the  picture  (p.  50)  you  can  see  the 
root  of  a  hair,  as  the  microscope  shows  it.  It  lies 
in  the  dermis,  at  the  bottom  of  a  tube  called  a  hair 
follicle.  Around  this  follicle  is  a  tiny  muscle,  and 
when  this  contracts,  it  pulls  up  the  skin  all  around 
the  hair,  making  it  project.  An  external  influence, 
like  cold,  may  make  these  follicle-muscles  con- 
tract; or  an  internal  influence,  like  fear,  has  the 
same  effect.  This  is  what  happens  when  the  hair 
stands  on  end,  the  flesh  creeps,  and  goose-flesh 
arises. 

7.  How  often  we  must  wash  the  hair  depends  on 
how  often  it  gets  dirty.  It  is  impossible  to  avoid 
dirt  and  dust  from  flying  into  the  scalp,  especially 
in  the  city;  therefore  these  should  be  removed 
by  a  plentiful  use  of  warm  water  and  soap.  Begin 
the  process  by  brushing  the  hair  well,  and  use  your 
fingers  which  have  been  dipped  in  water,  to  knead 
the  scalp  in  a  rotary  fashion.  It  is  better  to  make 
a  lather  with  the  hand  than  to  rub  the  soap  di- 
rectly into  the  hair.  Afterwards,  wash  the  soap 
out  well  with  several  rinsings  before  drying. 

8.  The  hair  needs  air  and  sunshine,  and  there- 
fore it  is  wise  not  to  keep  it  too  much  covered. 
However,  caution  is  required  in  winter  weather  in 


THE  COVERING  OF  THE  BODY  55 

order  to  avoid  colds.  Not  only  the  liair,  but  hair- 
brushes also  require  attention;  they  should  be 
kept  covered  and  away  from  the  dust.  An  easy 
way  to  clean  them  is  to  dip  them  in  a  bowl  of 
warm  water,  into  which  a  little  ammonia  has  been 
poured.  Have  only  enough  water  in  the  bowl  so 
that  the  bristles  may  strike  the  bottom  vigorously 
without  wetting  the  back  of  the  brush. 

9.  Besides  the  hair  follicles,  there  are  two  kinds 
of  glands  in  the  skin,  which  are  constantly  pouring 
out  secretions.  These  are  sweat  glands  and  oil 
glands.  The  latter  are  also  called  sebaceous 
glands,  and  lie  beside  the  hair  follicles.  They  pro- 
duce an  oily  substance,  consisting  chiefly  of  fatty 
acids,  which  protect  the  skin  and  keep  it  supple. 
It  also  gives  a  gloss  to  the  hair,  which  becomes 
dry  and  brittle  when  the  glands  do  not  function 
properly.  When  the  tiny  muscle  at  the  base  of  the 
hair  follicle  contracts,  it  squeezes  out  some  of  the 
oil  upon  the  surface  of  the  skin. 

10.  Sweat  is  a  clear,  colorless  fluid,  composed 
almost  entirely  of  water.  We  do  not  see  any  mois- 
ture on  the  skin  when  we  are  not  hot,  but  never- 
theless some  is  always  being  poured  out  from  the 
sweat  glands,  of  which  there  are  two  and  a  half 
millions  in  the  body.  In  the  palm  of  the  hand 
there  are  twenty-eight  hundred  in  each  square 


56  HEALTH   AND   HAPPINESS 

inch.  As  soon  as  the  fluid  strikes  the  air,  it  evap- 
orates, and  so  is  called  insensible  perspiration. 
As  much  as  from  a  pint  up  to  two  quarts  may  in 
this  way  be  lost  from  the  body  every  day.  Heat 
or  exercise  may  increase  the  amount  so  that  it  may 
be  seen  and  felt,  in  which  case  it  is  called  sensible 
perspiration,  or  sweat. 

11.  The  chief  effect  of  the  perspiration  is  the 
cooling  of  the  body,  and  keeping  it  at  an  even  tem- 
perature. On  account  of  the  combustion  always 
taking  place  in  the  body  and  the  energy  being  pro- 
duced, the  heat  resulting  would  become  so  great 
as  to  destroy  the  tissues,  unless  there  was  some 
process  to  regulate  it.  This  is  what  the  evapora- 
tion of  the  moisture  does.  When  the  skin  is  cold 
and  clammy,  and  perspiration  is  scanty,  the  heat 
is  lost  through  the  lungs  by  rapid  breathing.  Dogs 
which  have  thick  furry  coats,  and  therefore  few 
sweat  glands,  lose  heat  by  panting  when  they  are 
too  hot. 

12.  The  sweat  glands  have  also  the  duty  of  dis- 
charging through  their  pores  some  of  the  waste 
products  of  the  body.  When  the  watery  part 
evaporates,  the  waste  matter  remains  on  the  sur- 
face and  becomes  mixed  with  the  excretion  of  the 
oil  glands.  If  this  is  allowed  to  remain,  it  creates 
a  bad  odor,  and  interferes  with  the  perspiratory 


THE   COVERING  OF  THE   BODY 


57 


work.  Therefore,  it  should  be  removed  by  friction 
and  by  bathing.  Besides  being  unpleasant,  it  is 
also  dangerous  to  permit  it  to  remain,  as  it  would 
become  thicker  all  the  time,  and  would  attract  dust 
and  germs  which  are  always  in  the  air.  If  the 
person  is  not  in  good  physical  condition,  the  germs 


Iniernalional 


Who  Wins? 

would  multiply  and  choke  up  the  glands  and  fol- 
licles, producing  boils,  abscesses  and  pimples. 

13.  Bathing,  then,  is  a  necessity  as  well  as  a 
luxury,  and  should  be  indulged  in  by  every  one 
every  day.  For  removing  dirt  and  dust,  warm 
water  is  the  most  efficacious  agent.  Soap  is  also 
needed  as  well  as  a  flesh  brush  for  the  hands  and 
nails.  One  should  not  be  niggardly  in  regard  to 
the  number  of  times  for  bathing,  but  should  per- 


58  HEALTH   AND   HAPPINESS 

form  the  function  whenever  it  is  necessary.    The 
hands  should  always  be  washed  before  meals. 

14.  A  cold  bath  is  an  excellent  tonic,  as  it  drives 
the  blood  away  from  the  surface  of  the  body 
towards  the  brain  and  internal  organs,  thus  help- 
ing to  give  them  fresh  energy  and  vigor.  Cold 
water  also  strengthens  the  skin,  and  makes  one 
less  liable  to  take  ^^cold."  Bathing  the  neck  and 
chest  with  cold  water,  the  first  thing  in  the  morn- 
ing, may  keep  one  free  from  respiratory  diffi- 
culties all  through  the  winter.  It  is  not  necessary 
to  have  any  expensive  apparatus  in  order  to  get 
all  the  good  effects  of  a  cool  shower.  A  large 
bowl,  filled  with  water,  and  a  couple  of  large 
coarse  towels,  will  be  all  that  is  needed.  Wring 
one  of  the  towels  nearly  dry,  and  use  it  on  the  back 
and  other  parts,  where  it  is  impossible  to  reach 
with  the  hands.  It  is  best  to  wet,  and  then  dry,  one 
area  of  the  body,  before  proceeding  to  another. 
Do  the  face  and  hands  first. 

15.  There  are  a  few  points  to  bear  in  mind  about 
the  cold  bath : 

1.  Never  bathe  when  chilly.     The  cold  bath  is, 

therefore,  best  when  one  rises  from  a  warm 
bed. 

2.  The  room  in  which  one  bathes  should  be  warm. 


THE  COVERING  OF  THE   BODY  59 

3.  A  cold  or  cool  bath  should  be  short,  always  fol- 

lowed by  a  brisk  rub. 

4.  If  you  feel  cold  after  a  bath,  it  is  a  sign  that  it 

was  too  long ;  or  the  water  was  too  cool.  Ex- 
ercise vigorously  until  you  get  warm,  and 
take  a  hot  drink. 

5.  Do  not  bathe  directly  after  eating. 

6.  Do  not  take  a  cold  bath  when  overheated  from 

play.    Wait  until  you  become  cooler. 

7.  If  it  should  be  impossible  to  take  a  cold  water 

bath,  exposure  of  portions  of  the  body  to  the 
cold  air  is  advised.  If  the  sun  is  pouring 
into  the  room,  stand  in  the  sunshine  for  a  few 
minutes,  and  then  rub  each  part  of  the  body 
vigorously  and  thoroughly  with  a  rough  towel 
until  the  skin  glows.  Indians  are  able  to 
bear  much  exposure  to  the  cold  on  account  of 
their  custom  of  not  overburdening  the  body 
with  too  much  clothing.  You  may  have  heard 
the  story  of  the  white  man,  who  shivered  un- 
der his  heavy  coat,  staring  in  amazement  at 
the  Indian,  who  seemed  quite  warm,  though 
he  was  working  on  a  winter  day  without  any 
more  covering  than  a  loose  pair  of  panta- 
loons. '^Why,''  said  the  white  man,  ''are 
you  not  freezing  1 ' '    The  Indian  grunted  and 


60  HEALTH   AND   HAPPINESS 

shook  Ms  head.    ''Is  your  face  frozen?    No? 
Well,  an  Indian's  body  is  all  face/' 

16.  There  are  various  cautions  about  the  warm 
bath  also  which  should  be  borne  in  mind : 

1.  Bathe  the  whole  body  in  warm  soapy  water  two 

or  three  times  a  week,  even  in  cold  weather. 

2.  The  best  time  for  such  a  bath  is  just  at  bedtime. 

3.  The  water  should  not  be  too  hot;  i.e.,  over  100°. 

4.  Do  not  remain  in  the  bath  long,  as  the  warmth 

is  weakening  and  makes  the  skin  sensitive. 

5.  At  the  end  of  a  warm  bath,  always  use  a  spray 

or  shower  of  cold  water,  unless  one  is  going 
directly  to  bed. 

6.  An  incipient  cold  may  be  cut  short  often  by  im- 

mersing the  legs  up  to  the  knees  in  a  hot 
mustard  bath  for  ten  minutes.  Cover  the 
rest  of  the  body  with  a  big,  warm  blanket, 
and  get  into  bed  immediately  afterwards. 
Sometimes  it  is  helpful  to  remain  wholly 
immersed  in  a  hot  bath  for  ten  minutes,  and 
then,  without  drying,  put  on  a  thick  flannel 
nightrobe  and  jump  into  bed.  This  also  has 
the  effect  of  stopping  a  cold  at  the  very  be- 
ginning. 


THE   COVERING  OF  THE  BODY  61 

17.  Do  not  use  towels  that  any  others,  have  used 
at  school  or  elsewhere.  If  paper  towels  are  not 
provided,  it  is  better  to  bring  your  towel  from 
home.  Diseases  are  sometimes  taken  from  towels 
used  by  others  in  public  places.  It  is  important 
to  bear  this  in  mind. 

18.  If  the  whole  body  of  an  animal  were  to  be 
coated  with  paint,  it  could  not  live  long,  as  the 
paint  w^ould  prevent  the  skin  from  doing  its  work, 
which  is  necessary  for  life.  Putting  paint  and 
powder  on  the  face  is  wrong  and  foolish,  therefore, 
as  it  interferes  with  nature's  processes.  Some 
girls  think  that  they  are  making  themselves  at- 
tractive by  turning  themselves  into  good  imita- 
tions of  china  dolls.  But  what  they  are  really 
doing  is  ruining  their  skin,  while  giving  public 
manifestation  of  their  coquetry  and  vanity.  Fresh 
air  and  sunshine  and  the  frequent  application  of 
cold  water  will  do  more  for  their  complexion  than 
any  artificial  cosmetics.  Nature  is  not  to  be 
trifled  with,  and  if  abused,  will  inevitably  demand 
her  revenge. 

19.  Cleanliness,  therefore,  is  absolutely  neces- 
sary for  the  health  and  beauty  of  the  skin;  and 
cleanliness  is  just  as  necessary  for  the  health  and 
beauty  of  the  soul.  One  is  often  an  index  of  the 
other.     A  blotched,  diseased  skin  only  too  fre- 


62  HEALTH   AND   HAPPINESS 

quently  covers  a  foul,  sin-stained  soul,  while  a 
shining  soul  makes  the  face  positively  glow. 
'' Cleanliness  is  next  to  godliness";  and  unless  one 
keeps  the  soul  clean,  God  cannot  take  up  His  abode 
in  the  heart.  Doctors  have  found,  by  frequent 
experience  in  dealing  with  patients,  how  greatly 
the  spiritual  influences  the  physical  part  of  man, 
and,  therefore,  try  to  effect  a  moral  improvement 
before  they  begin  a  medical  treatment.  A  good 
confession  is  sometimes  a  startling  preliminary  to 
a  person's  rapid  restoration  to  health. 

QUESTIONS 

1.  Of  what  is  the  skin  composed? 

Of  what  purpose  is  the  upper?    What  is  contained  in  the 
lower? 

2.  How  generally  are  the  blood  vessels  distributed  in  the  skin  ? 

3.  What  happens  to  the  upper  skin  when  there  is  any  pres- 

sure ?    Examples. 

4.  Of  what  use  are  the  nails?     Name  a  few  curious  kinds. 
What  is  a  felon,  and  how  should  it  be  treated? 

5.  How  do  you  care  for  the  nails? 

6.  Of  what  use  is  the  hair?     How  does  it  grow?     What  is 

goose-flesh  ? 

7.  How  do  you  take  care  of  the  hair? 

8.  What  do  you  know  about  hair-brushes? 

9.  What  are  the  glands  in  the  skin?     Of  what  use  are  they? 

10.  How  many  sweat  glands  are  there  in  the  skin?  the  palm? 

How  much  sweat  is  evaporated  from  the  skin  each  day? 

11.  Of  what  use  is  perspiration? 

12.  How  are  its  ill  effects  removed? 


THE   COVERING  OF  THE  BODY  63 

13.  Give  some  rules  for  bathing. 

14.  Name  some  good  effects  of  cold  baths. 

15.  What  precautions  are  to  be  taken  in  regard  to  bathing? 

16.  What  precautions  are  to  be  taken  in  regard  to  warm  baths  1 

17.  What  precautions  are  to  be  taken  in  regard  to  towels'? 

18.  What  is  to  be  said  about  putting  paint  and  powder  on  the 

face? 

19.  Contrast  cleanliness  of  skin  and  soul. 


Chapter  VI 
THE  CIRCULATION 

1.  The  trunk  is  divided  into  two  main  parts  by 
the  diaphragm,  which  is  sometimes  called  the  mid- 
riff. The  upper  division  is  the  chest,  called  the 
thorax,  the  lower  is  the  abdomen.  The  chest  is 
enclosed  by  the  ribs  and  the  dorsal  portion  of  the 
spinal  column.  In  the  chest  are  the  heart,  the 
lungs,  the  trachea  or  windpipe,  the  esophagus, 
blood  vessels,  entering  and  leaving  the  heart,  and 
important  nerves. 

2.  The  more  we  know  about  the  human  body  the 
greater  is  our  admiring  reverence  for  the  power 
and  wisdom  of  its  great  Constructor.  All  its  parts 
are  so  ingeniously  contrived,  each  one  so  well  fit- 
ted to  do  its  work,  and  all  w^orking  so  harmoni- 
ously together,  that  there  is  nothing  like  it  to  be 
found  anywhere  on  the  earth  with  which  it  can  be 
compared.  For  the  most  part,  it  is  bilateral,  its 
two  sides  being  perfectly  symmetrical.  Thus  we 
have  two  arms,  two  legs,  two  eyes,  two  ears,  two 
lungs,  two  kidneys,  etc.,  one  of  which  is  the  exact 

64 


THE  cmcUIATlON 


65 


counterpart  of  its  mate;  and  where  there  is  only 
one  thing  of  its  kind,  its  two  halves  are  generally 
reproductions  of  each  other.  This  state  of  things 
has  this  tremendous  advantage,  that  if  a  thing  on 
one  side  happens  to  be  injured,  its  work  is  taken 


The  Heart  from  a  Model. 

A,  Vena  Cava;   B,  Arch  of  Aorta;    C,  Pulmonary  Artery;    D,  Auricles;   ^,  Apex 

up  by  its  partner ;  and  if  it  cannot  do  the  work  of 
both  as  it  is,  it  begins  to  develop  in  size  so  that 
alone  it  can  attempt  the  task  previously  done  by 
the  two. 

But  there  is  only  one  heart,  which  is  the  organ 
of  circulation,  whereby  the  blood  is  distributed 
through  the  body.    An  organ  may  have  meant  to 


Q6  HEALTH   AND   HAPPINESS 

most  of  us  a  wind  instrument,  consisting  of  a  col- 
lection of  pipes,  which  thrills  us  when  played  by 
a  skilful  musician  in  church.  But  the  word  is  also 
used  to  designate  any  part  of  the  body  that  has  a 
special  task.  The  smallest  unit  in  the  body  is  the 
cell.  This  is  a  very  small,  more  or  less  enclosed 
body,  containing  a  substance  called  protoplasm. 
By  a  tissue  is  meant  a  group  of  similar  cells  that 
do  a  similar  work.  An  organ  is  a  group  of  tissues 
that  perform  a  similar  function,  so  that  the  func- 
tion of  an  organ  is  the  particular  part  the  organ 
plays  in  maintaining  the  life  of  the  whole  body. 

4.  If  any  one  of  the  various  organs  can  be  said 
to  have  the  most  necessary  or  important  function, 
that  privilege  certainly  can  be  claimed  by  the 
heart.  It  is  the  first  one  that  begins  to  function- 
ate, and  when  it  stops,  all  others  must  cease  activ- 
ity also.  The  others  have  periods  of  partial  tran- 
quillity, but  the  heart  never  can  rest  for  even  a  few 
minutes.  The  actual  labor  of  others  varies  from 
time  to  time ;  but  the  heart  goes  on  its  way  stead- 
ily, ceaselessly,  unwaveringly,  from  the  time  God 
places  it  in  our  body,  until  we  are  finally  worn  out 
by  the  service  of  a  well  spent  life,  striving  stead- 
ily, ceaselessly,  unwearyingly  to  ^4ove  the  Lord, 
our  God,  with  our  whole  heart,  and  our  whole  soul, 
and  our  whole  mind,  and  all  our  strength,''  and 


THE   CIRCULATION  67 

then  at  last  when  the  faithful  heart-beats  pause, 
we  close  our  eyes  in  death,  and  go  to  heaven  to 
receive  the  reward  of  that  service. 

5.  In  studying  the  muscles,  we  have  learned  that 
there  are  two  kinds  of  muscular  tissue  in  the  body, 
the  voluntary  and  involuntary.  The  voluntary  are 
also  called  striped  muscles,  on  account  of  the  ap- 
pearance of  the  fibres.  What  is  called  a  muscle  is 
an  organ,  composed  of  thousands  of  muscular 
fibres,  which  are  bound  together  by  connective 
tissue  and  surrounded  by  a  sheath  of  the  same 
tissue.  Each  fibre  is  a  complete  structure  in  itself ; 
a  very  minute,  fine  end  of  a  nerve  comes  to  it, 
causing  the  fibre  to  contract  when  we  send  the  ex- 
pression of  our  will  down  along  the  nerve  from 
our  brain.  The  amount  of  contraction  of  these 
muscles  depends  upon  ourselves;  we  can  move 
them  as  much  or  as  little  as  we  desire. 

6.  The  heart  is  an  organ  made  up  of  cross- 
striped  fibres,  but  it  has  these  striking  differences 
from  all  the  other  striped  muscles  of  the  body. 
We  had  nothing  to  do  with  starting  it  in  motion. 
It  does  not  stop  beating  because  we  will  that  it 
should.  It  contracts  and  relaxes  regularly  with- 
out any  desire  on  our  part.  When  it  contracts,  it 
does  so  to  its  fullest  extent :  in  scientific  language 
we  would  say  of  it,  ^ '  The  contractions  of  the  heart 


68  HEALTH   AND   HAPPINESS 

muscle  are  always  maximal."  In  all  other  mus- 
cles the  amount  of  contraction  depends  on  the 
amount  of  the  stimulus;  and  we  realize  varying 
degrees  in  the  strength  of  the  contractions.  But 
this  is  not  the  case  with  the  heart.  Whenever  it 
contracts,  it  does  so  to  the  greatest  extent  of  the 
power  of  its  muscle  at  the  time.  This  does  not 
mean,  of  course,  that  the  heart-beats  never  vary. 
They  do  vary  frequently,  depending  upon  the  con- 
dition of  the  body,  whether  the  individual  is  young 
or  old,  in  good  health  or  ill,  well  fed  or  poorly 
nourished,  exercising  or  in  a  state  of  rest.  But 
at  the  moment  it  is  beating,  it  could  not  be  made 
to  contract  more  strongly  by  any  stimulus. 

7.  In  the  case  of  the  other  muscles,  if  a  mild 
stimulus  is  applied,  they  contract  somewhat.  If 
a  stronger  stimulus  is  used,  they  contract  still 
more.  But  if  a  stimulus  is  applied  to  the  heart 
when  it  is  already  in  a  state  of  contraction  it  pro- 
duces absolutely  no  effect.  This  is  called  the  re- 
fractory period  of  the  heart-beat. 

8.  But  the  chief  thing  that  distinguishes  the 
heart  from  all  other  muscular  tissue  is  the  fact  that 
it  is  automatic ;  that  is,  that  its  contractions  arise 
from  a  stimulus  within  the  tissue  itself,  and  are 
not  brought  to  it  through  extrinsic  nerves.  This 
stimulus  is  called  the  inner  stimulus,  and  although 


THE   CIRCULATION  69 

various  theories  have  been  given  from  time  to 
time  to  explain  its  mysterious  power,  there  is  no 
adequate  explanation  to  be  found,  except  in  the 
infinite  power  of  the  One  from  whom  alone  all 
power  comes.  Since  He  is  infinite,  men  must  real- 
ize that  He  can  make  things,  the  composition  of 
which  they  cannot  fully  understand,  and  endow 
things  with  wondrous  qualities,  which  are  finite 
reflexes  of  His  wondrous  infinity. 

9.  So  deeply  is  this  automatic  rhythm  implanted 
in  the  heart  muscle  that  in  the  case  of  the  frog,  for 
example,  the  heart  may  be  made  to  contract  for 
several  hours  even  when  removed  from  the  body, 
by  being  kept  moist  with  the  proper  kind  of  salt 
solution. 

10.  Everyone  is  familiar  with  the  conical  shape 
of  the  heart.  It  is  about  the  size  of  the  fist,  and 
is  divided  into  four  compartments.  The  two  up- 
per ones  are  called  auricles,  from  the  fancied  re- 
semblance to  a  dog's  ears;  the  blood  is  received 
into  these.  The  two  lower  ones,  which  are  much 
the  larger,  are  called  ventricles;  they  pump 
the  blood  out.  As  in  all  pumps,  there  are  valves 
which  prevent  the  blood  from  coming  back,  when 
it  has  once  been  pumped  through  any  of  the  com- 
partments. Generally,  when  people  are  said  to 
have  heart  trouble,  it  means  that  one  of  the  valves 


70 


HEALTH  AND   HAPPINESS 


does  not  shut  tight,  and  the  blood  trickles  back, 
thus  causing  disturbance  to  the  circulation. 

11.  The  blood  comes  from  the  body  to  the  right 
upper  compartment,  or  the  right  auricle.  It  passes 
through  a  valve  into  the  right  ventricle.     This 


Heart  from  Model,  Showing  the  Lower  Valves. 

A,  Vena  Cava;  B,  Aorta;  C,  Pulmonary  Artery;  D,  Right  Auricle;  E,  Left 
Auricle;  F,  Right  Ventricle;  G,  Tricuspid  Valve;  H,  Left  Ventricle; 
K,  Mitral  Valve. 

valve  is  called  the  tricuspid  valve,  because  it  has 
three  pockets.  From  the  right  ventricle,  the  blood 
goes  to  the  lungs  to  be  purified  by  the  air  there. 
From  the  lungs  it  returns  to  the  heart,  entering 
the  left  auricle.  From  there  it  enters  the  left  ven- 
tricle through  the  mitral  valve,  so  called  because 


THE  CIRCULATION  71 

it  looks  like  the  mitre  of  a  bishop;  and  thence  it 
flows  out  through  the  body. 

12.  The  circulation  of  the  blood  is  an  uninter- 
rupted flow  through  a  chain  of  vessels  which  are 
continuous.  The  vessels  which  bring  the  blood 
from  the  heart  are  called  arteries.  Those  which 
return  the  blood  to  the  heart  are  called  veins.  The 
two  are  connected  by  smaller  vessels  which  are 
called  capillaries. 

13.  The  biggest  artery  is  the  one  which  carries 
the  blood  out  from  the  left  ventricle;  it  is  called 
the  aorta.  Over  the  heart  it  forms  a  loop  which  is 
called  the  arch,  and  then  descends  along  the  spinal 
column.  On  a  level  with  the  hip  bones,  it  divides 
into  two  branches  which  supply  the  lower  limbs. 
In  the  thigh,  these  two  are  called  the  femoral 
arteries;  in  the  leg,  they  are  called  the  tibial  ar- 
teries. From  the  arch  branch  the  arteries  which 
bring  the  blood  to  the  head  and  arms.  Those 
going  to  the  head  pass  up  on  each  side  of  the  neck, 
and  their  throbbing  can  sometimes  be  seen  and 
felt.    These  are  the  carotid  arteries. 

14.  The  brachial  arteries  run  from  the  shoulder 
to  the  elbow,  where  they  are  divided  into  the  radial 
and  the  ulnar.  The  radial  runs  down  the  thumb- 
side  of  the  forearm,  and  is  the  one  where  the  pulse 
is  usually  taken  as  it  passes  along  the  wrist.    The 


n  HEALTH  AND  HAPPINESS 

ulnar  passes  down  the  little  finger  side.  The  heart 
beats  about  seventy-two  times  a  minute  in  an 
adult,  rather  oftener  in  a  child. 

15.  The  large  arteries  lie  very  deep  in  the  flesh. 
The  veins  are  nearer  the  skin,  and  can  be  traced 
for  a  considerable  distance.  The  blood  flows  fast- 
est in  the  big  arteries;  less  quickly  in  the  veins; 
and  least  rapidly  of  all  in  the  capillaries,  which 
join  the  arteries  and  the  veins.  But  nowhere  can 
the  flow  be  called  slow,  since  a  volume  of  blood 
passes  through  the  heart  every  minute  which  is 
equal  to  twice  the  amount  contained  in  the  whole 
body.  This  amount  is  about  six  quarts  in  a  healthy 
man. 

16.  If  a  condition  in  the  body  is  just  what  it 
should  be,  it  is  called  normal.  If  an  organ  behaves 
in  the  manner  best  suited  for  the  health  of  the 
whole  body,  it  is  said  to  be  acting  normally.  If 
anything  is  out  of  order  it  is  called  abnormal ;  that 
is,  not  normal,  not  as  it  should  be.  To  have,  then, 
the  normal  rhythm  of  the  heart-beat,  is  to  have 
the  auricles  contract  first  and  force  the  blood  into 
the  ventricles ;  then,  when  the  ventricles  are  filled, 
to  have  these  contract,  and  force  the  blood  from 
the  right  side  to  the  lungs,  and  from  the  left  side 
into  the  aorta.  While  the  ventricles  are  expelling 
the  blood,  the  auricles  are  being  refilled.    If  you 


THE   CIRCULATION  73 

should  put  your  ear  to  the  chest  of  someone  at 
about  the  fifth  rib,  to  the  left  of  the  breastbone, 
you  could  hear  the  noise  which  the  heart  makes 
when  it  contracts.  It  sounds  something  like  this, 
^'lub-dub,  lub-dub.'^  By  listening  to  the  sounds, 
the  doctor  can  determine  whether  the  condition  of 
the  heart  is  normal  or  not ;  if  not,  just  where  the 
trouble  lies. 

17.  The  life  of  the  muscles,  the  nerves,  the 
bones,  all  the  various  parts  of  the  body,  depends 
on  their  receiving  a  constant  supply  of  blood, 
which  conveys  to  them  a  proper  amount  of  food 
material  and  oxygen,  and  at  the  same  time  re- 
moves from  them  all  the  waste  products  and  poi- 
sonous or  worn-out  matters.  In  order  to  have  this 
important  function  carried  out  properly,  the  heart 
and  the  blood  vessels  furnish  the  pump  and  the 
channels  by  means  of  which  the  circulation  is  kept 
up ;  and  the  central  nervous  system  acts  as  a  con- 
trol over  the  activities  of  the  blood  vessels,  so  that 
the  ever-changing  demands  of  the  body  as  a  whole, 
or  of  its  many  parts,  may  be  attended  to  on  the 
instant. 

QUESTIONS 

1.  How  is  the  trunk  divided?     What  is  contained  in  each 

division  ? 

2.  What  is  the  general  arrangement  of  the  bodily  structures? 


74  HEALTH   AND   HAPPINESS 

3.  What  is  meant  by  an  organ  of  the  body?  a  cell?  a  tissue? 
What  is  the  function  of  an  organ? 

4.  What  is  the  most  important  organ?    Why? 

5.  Describe  the  structure  of  a  muscle. 

6.  Tell  the  different  ways  in  which  the  heart  is  distinguished 

from  the  muscles. 

7.  Name  some  other  differences. 

8.  What  is  the  chief  difference?    How  is  it  explained? 

9.  How  can  a  heart  be  made  to  beat  when  separated  from 

the  body? 

10.  Describe  the  shape,  the  size  and  the  divisions  of  the  heart. 

11.  How  does  the  blood  flow  through  the  heart? 

12.  What  are  the  various  kinds  of  blood  vessels? 

13.  What  is  the  biggest  artery  in  the  body?     What  are  its 

divisions? 

14.  What  arteries  are  in  the  arm? 

15.  What  is  the  difference  between  arteries  and  veins? 

16.  What  does  "normal"  mean?    Describe  the  normal  rhythm 

of  the  heart. 

17.  How  are  the  various  parts  of  the  body  kept  in  good  con- 

dition? 


Chapter  VII 

THE    BLOOD 

1.  The  heart  is  made  of  muscles,  as  has  been 
said;  there  is  muscular  tissue  in  the  walls  of  the 
blood  vessels,  a  great  deal  in  the  arteries,  less  in 
the  veins  and  very  little  in  the  capillaries.  These 
last  are  hardly  anything  more  than  single  layers 
of  cells,  through  which  the  dissolved  food  may 
easily  pass  out  into  the  surrounding  tissues.  On 
account  of  the  thickness  of  the  arterial  walls,  the 
arteries  retain  their  shape  when  they  are  cut  open ; 
and  when  this  occurs  in  the  living  body,  the  blood 
spurts  from  them  in  jets  which  correspond  to  the 
beats  of  the  heart.  The  veins  are  much  thinner 
and  contain  less  elastic  tissue,  so  that  they  col- 
lapse when  cut;  and  consequently  the  blood  oozes 
from  them  in  a  steady  stream.  This  is  a  means 
of  distinguishing  between  an  injured  artery  and 
a  vein,  when  blood  flows  after  an  accident.  Also, 
the  arterial  blood  is  red;  the  venous  blood  is 
purple.  Since  the  artery  is  bringing  blood  from 
the  heart,  the  way  to  stop  the  bleeding  is  to  tie  a 

75 


76  HEALTH   AND   HAPPINESS 

bandage  above  the  cut,  wlien  the  blood  issues  forth 
in  spurts,  below  the  cut,  when  the  fact  that  a  vein 
is  damaged  is  shown  by  the  oozing  of  purplish 
blood.  The  treatment  is  to  wash  the  wound  in 
clear  cold  water  and  cover  it,  when  the  bleeding 
stops,  with  the  inside  of  a  freshly  laundered  hand- 
kerchief. 

2.  The  fact  that  the  blood  is  not  merely  a 
watery  fluid  is  seen  when  the  bleeding  stops,  by 
the  formation  of  a  clot.  This  clot  is  composed 
of  little  round  bodies,  which  are  red  blood  cells 
and  white  blood  cells.  These  cells  are  caught  and 
entangled  in  string-like  material  called  fibrin, 
which  forms  a  meshwork  of  spidery  threads,  as 
soon  as  the  blood  leaves  the  blood  vessel.  The 
formation  of  the  clot  is  the  means  of  saving  a 
person  from  bleeding  to  death.  If  blood  had  not 
this  property,  we  should  be  staring  death  con- 
stantly in  the  face,  and  it  would  not  be  safe  to 
have  even  a  tooth  extracted,  no  matter  how  much 
it  ached. 

3.  But  why  does  not  the  blood  clot  in  the  blood 
vessels,  just  as  well  as  outside?  Scientists  cannot 
tell  exactly;  the  air  has  something  to  do  with  it, 
but  we  know  that  the  real  reason  is  because  God 
is  our  Preserver,  and  being  infinitely  wise,  is  able 


THE  BLOOD  77 

to  bestow  upon  blood  that  quality  so  necessary 
for  the  existence  of  ns  all. 

4.  The  watery  part  constitutes  about  four-fifths 
of  the  blood,  and  is  called  plasma.  It  carries  dis- 
solved in  it  the  nourishment  which  has  been  di- 
gested in  the  alimentary  canal  and  passes  out 
through  the  thin  walls  of  the  capillaries  into  the 
needy  tissues. 

5.  Besides  food  for  rebuilding  tissue,  every 
smallest  part  of  the  body  needs  oxygen.  The  red 
blood  cells  pick  this  up  when  the  blood  leaves  the 
right  side  of  the  heart  and  goes  to  the  lungs,  so 
that  they  are  well  stored  with  it  when  they  start 
off  on  their  trip  round  the  body  from  the  left  side 
of  the  heart.  These  cells  are  so  small  that  we 
cannot  see  them  except  through  the  microscope, 
though  the  blood  is  simply  swarming  with  them. 
There  are  several  millions  in  every  drop,  and  in 
the  whole  body  there  are  many  millions.  If  the 
red  cells  of  a  single  individual  boy  or  girl  were 
laid  out  in  a  line,  they  would  stretch  around  the 
earth  over  four  times.  This  will  give  you  some 
idea  of  their  number,  also  of  the  wonderful  body 
which  can  manufacture  them;  as,  of  course,  they 
are  made  in  the  body  by  its  master,  the  soul.  As 
they  are  so  sm.all,  and  are  given  such  an  impor- 
tant work  to  do,  they  wear  out  very  quickly,  and 


78 


HEALTH   AND   HAPPINESS 


constantly  have  to  be  replaced  by  new  ones;  so 
that  to  keep  the  supply  up  to  the  need,  over  four 
hundred  million  cells  must  be  manufactured  every 
minute.  Do  you  think  any  such  marvellous  fac- 
tory could  be  built  by  anyone  except  Almighty 
God? 


The  Heart  from  Model,  Showing  the  Uppp:r 

(Semilunar)  Valves. 

A,  Vena  Cava;    B,  Aorta;    C,  Pulmonary  Artery;    D,  Valve  to  Pulmonary 
Artery;   E,  Valve  to  Aorta. 

6.  The  white  cells  are  not  so  numerous  as  the 
red,  nor  are  they  of  such  uniform  size  or  shape. 
Besides  moving  in  the  blood  stream,  they  have 
an  independent  movement  of  their  own,  which 
they  accomplish  by  changing  their  form.  First 
they    stretch    out    a    finger-like    process    which 


THE  BLOOD  79 

becomes  bigger  and  bigger,  nntil  the  whole  cell 
has  gradually  pushed  itself  into  the  projection. 
In  this  way  they  squeeze  through  the  walls  of 
capillaries  without  leaving  any  trace  of  an  open- 
ing. Here  again,  science  halts  before  an  explana- 
tion; and  we  can  simply  say  that  it  is  another 
proof  to  those  who  are  not  wilfully  blind,  that 
there  is  some  superhuman  force  controlling  our 
existence,  and  that  that  force  can  only  come  from 
the  One  who  first  gave  us  existence. 

7.  These  white  cells  are  the  defenders  of  the 
body  against  disease.  They  are  much  more  ex- 
pert in  detecting  and  warding  off  danger  than  the 
most  experienced  soldiers.  They  never  rest,  but 
are  always  going  about,  and  hardly  has  a  danger 
threatened,  than  they  rush  to  the  spot  and  begin 
their  attack.  In  war,  we  honor  the  brave  heroes 
who  seem  to  forget  all  fear  in  their  eagerness  to 
slay  the  foe.  But  no  hero  was  ever  so  daring  as 
these  white  cells,  nor  so  eager  to  lay  down  his  life. 
Penetrating  the  capillaries  in  the  vicinity  of  the 
enemy, — i.e.,  the  disease  germ,  they  surround  it  and 
try  to  enclose  it.  If  they  have  difficulty  in  win- 
ning the  battle,  more  and  more  recruits  arrive  on 
the  scene,  and  many  of  them  give  up  their  lives 
in  defense.  This  causes  a  swelling  at  the  place 
of  conflict,  and  an  abscess  is  formed;  the  pus 


80  HEALTH   AND   HAPPINESS 

whicli  comes  from  the  abscess  consists  of  thou- 
sands of  these  white  cells  which  have  died  as 
martyrs  to  duty. 

8.  The  white  blood  cells  teach  a  striking  lesson. 
They  fight  and  die  to  preserve  life  in  us. 
^^  Greater  love  no  one  hath  than  this,  that  he  lay 
down  his  life  for  his  friend. ' '  So  we  should  fight, 
and  if  need  be,  die  too,  to  preserve  the  life  in  our 
souls,  which  is  sanctifying  grace.  Thus  w^e  follow 
the  example  of  One  who  laid  down  His  precious 
life  for  us,  "becoming  obedient  unto  death,  even 
to  the  death  of  the  cross." 

9.  But  the  energy  of  these  white  cells  is  not 
confined  to  military  manoeuvres.  They  are  also 
builders,  like  ants  or  bees,  and  much  resemble 
these  little  creatures  in  their  habits.  As  soon  as 
an  injury  happens  anywhere,  whether  it  be  a 
bruise,  a  fracture  or  a  torn  ligament,  they  at  once 
come  swarming  about  the  lacerated  spot.  First, 
some  of  them  engulf  the  broken  and  damaged 
tissues  and  carry  them  away.  Others  then  cover 
the  area  with  new  tissue,  so  cunningly  constructed 
that  it  attracts  tiny  offshoots  from  nearby  capil- 
laries, which  spread  out  in  all  directions.  Very 
soon  the  injury  is  repaired  with  new  tissues  ex- 
actly similar  to  those  which  were  damaged.  This 
is  very  striking,  because  we  would  like  to  know 


THE  BLOOD  81 

how  the  same  kind  of  white  cells  can  rebuild  flesh 
here,  skin  there ;  can  replace  a  fracture  with  new 
bone ;  can  also,  and  even  at  the  same  time,  restore 
the  cut  ends  of  nerves  and  blood  vessels.  There 
can  only  be  one  answer ;  Catholics  are  able  to  find 
it  easily. 


Arteries  and  Muscles  of  the  Scalp  and  Face. 


10.  The  blood  supply  is  not  always  the  same  to 
the  same  part  of  the  body.  There  are  no  gates  in 
the  arteries  which  can  be  opened  or  shut  on  de- 
mand, but  there  are  nerves  which  go  to  these 
vessels  and  narrow  or  enlarge  them,  and  thus  reg- 
ulate the  blood  supply  within  them,  according  to 
the  necessity  of  the  occasion.    Thus  during  sleep. 


m  HEALTH   AND   HAPPINESS? 

the  blood  vessels  going  to  the  brain  are  contracted, 
because  as  large  a  supply  of  blood  is  not  needed 
then  as  when  the  mind  is  active.  After  a  meal, 
the  vessels  connected  with  the  alimentary  tract 
are  enlarged,  as  the  digestive  apparatus  is  then 
in  full  operation.  When  the  muscles  are  being 
used,  they  require  more  blood  than  when  they  are 
resting.  The  muscles  that  control  these  move- 
ments of  the  blood  vessels  are  involuntary,  there- 
fore not  under  the  direction  of  the  will.  It  is  on 
account  of  these  same  nerves,  which  report  ex- 
ternally all  impulses  in  the  brain,  that  a  blush 
follows  a  feeling  of  shame,  or  the  face  blanches 
from  fright. 

11.  Emotion  affects  as  well  the  heart  itself. 
Anger  has  stopped  its  beating  in  extreme  cases. 
Joy  also  may  quicken  its  rate  until  the  person 
feels  suffocated.  The  expression,  ^^ nearly  died 
of  joy,''  is  literally  true.  Self-control  means  the 
power  of  the  will  to  put  the  brakes  on  the  emo- 
tions, so  that  we  are  not  overcome  by  them,  but 
remain  masters  of  ourselves  in  any  and  every 
circumstance. 

12.  One  cannot  begin  too  early  to  acquire  this 
self-control.  We  can  never  obtain  complete  pos- 
session, but  we  can  do  much,  if  we  are  willing  to 
make  earnest  efforts,  and  we  should  try  very  hard. 


THE   BLOOD  83 

So  much  depends  upon  it.  It  is  a  necessary  factor 
in  making  any  success  in  this  world,  no  matter 
where  our  sphere  of  action  may  be  placed.  This 
is  important,  for  no  one  wants  to  be  a  failure  in 
life.  But  much  more  important  still,  is  its  influ- 
ence in  combating  temptation;  for  without  it  the 
imagination  yields  readily  to  the  insistence  of  the 
senses,  and  sin  is  often  committed  by  the  individ- 
ual who  has  failed  to  cultivate  it,  lacking,  as  a 
consequence,  the  force  of  will  to  say,  **no.'' 

13.  All  the  organs  of  the  body  are  enclosed  for 
their  protection  in  a  covering,  or  sac.  The  sac 
does  not  fit  tightly;  consequently  movement  is 
possible  inside  it.  Its  lining  is  kept  moist  with  a 
fluid  which  it  manufactures;  thus  friction  is 
avoided. 

14.  The  sac  which  envelops  the  heart  is  called 
the  pericardium  (meaning  ^^ around  the  heart"). 
It  was  most  probably  this  sac  around  Our  Lord's 
Sacred  Heart  which  was  pierced  by  the  lance  of 
Longinus,  the  centurion,  on  Calvary,  after  our  Sa- 
viour had  died  upon  the  cross.  From  the  simple 
account  of  that  faithful  eye-witness,  St.  John,  we 
may  with  all  reverence,  try  to  ascertain  what  was 
the  actual  physical  cause  of  our  Blessed  Eedeem- 
er 's  death.  Of  course.  He  died  because  He  willed ; 
He  was  a  willino;  victim  for  sin :  He  died  in  obedi- 


84  HEALTH   AND   HAPPINESS 

ence  to  the  command  of  His  heavenly  Father, 
who  asked  such  a  sacrifice  as  the  price  of  our 
eternal  redemption. 

15.  We  know  that  when,  in  the  Garden  of 
Olives,  the  Precious  Blood  burst  the  barriers  of 
the  veins,  and  escaped,  like  sweat,  through  the 
pores  of  the  skin,  His  agony  was  due  to  His 
dreadful  vision  of  the  sins  of  men,  whose  brother 
He  had  become,  rather  than  to  the  anticipation 
of  the  coming  Passion.  So,  as  He  hung,  nailed 
upon  the  cross,  the  sight  of  the  sins  of  the  world 
came  rushing  again  before  His  mind.  He  saw 
their  awful  malice,  which  He  alone  could  compre- 
hend, in  all  its  enormity.  He  realized  how  much 
He  had  done  for  men,  and  foreknew  how  many  of 
them  would  turn  their  faces  towards  hell,  despite 
His  death  of  expiation.  Knowing  how  hateful 
sin  is  in  God's  pure  sight.  He  understood  how 
He,  God's  only  Son,  must  appear  covered  with 
the  sins  of  all  mankind.  Reduced  in  strength  as 
He  Avas  by  all  His  previous  torments,  the  vision 
was  too  dreadful  to  be  borne  by  flesh  and  blood, 
and  as  the  Sacred  Heart  broke  with  grief  and 
sorrow,  the  Precious  Blood  within  it  poured  out 
into  the  pericardium. 

16.  We  know  now  that  blood  clots,  when  re- 
moved from  its  proper  channels.    So  the  Precious 


THE  BLOOD  85 

Blood,  though  it  was  divine,  followed  God's  laws 
for  human  nature,  since  Christ  was  Man  as  well 
as  God;  therefore,  as  soon  as  it  escaped  through 
the  broken  heart  muscle,  it  clotted  within  the 
pericardium.  When  the  centurion's  lance  pierced 
Our  Lord's  Sacred  Side,  its  point  penetrated  into 
this  sac,  and  through  this  opening  immediately 
flowed  '^ Blood  and  Water,"  the  Blood  being  the 
solid  elements  which  form  the  clot,  the  Water  the 
thin,  watery  fluid. 

17.  Of  course,  this  is  merely  a  point  of  view, 
by  no  means  a  certain  fact.  But  if  the  Sacred 
Heart  of  Jesus  had  not  broken  from  sorrow,  and 
had  been  opened  by  the  tip  of  the  spear  it  would 
seem  that  the  Gospel  would  not  have  stated  that 
'^One  of  the  soldiers  with  a  spear  opened  His 
side,  and  immediately  there  came  out  blood  and 
water"  (John  xix.  34)  ;  but  merely  that  blood 
came  out.  Of  course  it  might  have  been  a  miracle. 
Some  hold  that  it  was.  This  explanation  is,  how- 
ever, a  natural  and  a  plausible  one,  and  may  help 
our  devotion  to  our  crucified  King,  now  that  we 
understand  something  about  the  heart  and  the 
circulation.  Holy  writers,  moreover,  teach  us 
that  the  Blood  signified  the  Blessed  Sacrament, 
and  the  Water  the  Sacrament  of  Baptism. 


86  HEALTH   AND   HAPPINESS 

QUESTIONS 

1.  How  can  you  tell  whether  an  artery  or  a  vein  has  been  cuf? 
How  would  you  treat  a  wounded  blood  vessel? 

2.  What  is  meant  by  a  clot? 

3.  Why  does  not  the  blood  clot  in  the  vessels?  ' 

4.  What  is  the  plasma? 

5.  Of  what  uses  are  the  red  cells?     How  many  are  there? 

6.  How  do  the  white  cells  act? 

7.  Of  what  use  are  the  white  cells  of  the  body? 

8.  W^hat  is  the  lesson  of  the  cells? 

9.  How  do  they  repair  tissue? 

10.  How  is  the  blood  supply  limited? 

11.  Do  emotions  affect  the  heart? 

12.  Of  how  much  use  is  self-control  ? 

13.  With  what  is  each  organ  covered,  and  why? 

14.  What  is  the  name  of  the  covering  of  the  heart? 

15.  What  have  you  to  say  of  the  death  of  Our  Divine  Lord? 
Can  you  defend  such  a  theory? 


Chapter  VIII 
THE  ALIMENTARY  TRACT 

1.  The  alimentary  tract  is  the  canal  through 
which  the  food  passes,  and  where  it  is  digested 
and  absorbed.  It  is  made  np  of  the  mouth,  the 
esophagus  (or  gullet),  the  stomach  and  the  in- 
testines. We  have  spoken  of  the  use  of  the  teeth 
in  cutting  and  grinding  and  separating  the  food; 
they  should  be  employed  for  this  purpose.  Hu- 
man beings  do  not  gulp  their  food  as  dogs  do.  The 
human  stomach  was  not  intended  by  its  wise 
Maker  to  receive  food  until  it  had  been  prepared 
for  its  descent  from  the  mouth  by  the  process 
which  is  called  mastication.  This  process  includes 
not  alone  the  dental  work,  but  also  the  mixing  of 
the  food  with  the  saliva. 

2.  A  secretion  is  the  separation  from  the  blood 
of  a  substance  which  is  necessary  for  some  one 
of  the  vital  processes,  and  is  poured  out  on  the 
free  surfaces  of  the  body,  whether  internal  or  ex- 
ternal.    Examples   of  those   poured  out  on  the 

87 


88 


HEALTH   AND   HAPPINESS 


external  surfaces  are  tears  and  perspiration;  of 
those   on   the   internal   surfaces,   saliva   and   the 
gastric  juice. 

3.  An  action  occurring 
within  the  body,  which  is  ne- 
cessary for  its  well-being  and 
the  preservation  of  its  life, 
which  involves  something  dif-- 
ferent  from  any  chemical, 
physical  or  mechanical  proc- 
ess, is  called  a  vital  process. 
There  are  seven  such  proc- 
esses; viz.,  sensation,  locomo- 
tion, digestion,  assimilation, 
respiration,  excretion,  repro- 
duction. 

4.  (a)  Sensation  is  a  vital 
process  by  which  the  living 
organism  comes  to  know  of 
things  outside  itself,  or  of  one 
part  of  itself  by  other  parts. 

(b)  Locomotion  is  a  vital 
process  by  which  a  living  thing 
moves  itself,  or  any  of  its 
parts. 

(c)  Digestion  is  a  vital  process  by  which  food 
is  prepared  by  the  body  to  become  some  part  of 
itself. 


Alimentary  Canal 

With   Appendages, 

Parts   Somewhat 

Separated. 

A,  Esophagus;  B,  Car- 
dia;  C,  Stomach;  D, 
Pylorus;  E,  Duode- 
num opened  (begin- 
ning of  Small  Intes- 
tine) ;  F,  Rest  of  Small 
Intestine;  G,  Vermi- 
form Appendix;  H,  Co- 
lon (Large  Intestine) ; 
K,  Sigmoid  Flexure; 
L,  Rectum;  M,  Liver 
(turned  upwards) ;  A'^, 
Gall  Bladder;  O,  Bile 
Duct  to  Duodenum; 
P,  Pancreas;  Q,  Pan- 
creatic Duct  to  Duo- 
denum;   R,  Spleen. 


THE   ALIMENTARY  TRACT  89 

(d)  Assimilation  is  a  vital  process  by  which  the 
digested  food  is  changed  into  body  tissue. 

(e)  Respiration  is  the  vital  process  by  which 
oxygen  is  drawn  into  the  lungs,  where  it  is  ab- 
sorbed by  the  blood  and  carried  by  little  cells, 
called  corpuscles,  through  the  arteries  to  all  parts 
of  the  body. 

(/)  Excretion  is  the  vital  process  by  which  the 
waste  products  of  the  body  are  cast  off. 

(g)  Reproduction  is  the  vital  process  by  which 
new  organisms  are  brought  into  existence. 

5.  The  vital  processes  are  found  in  all  living 
things,  as  well  as  in  man,  and  mark  off  life  from 
death,  as  they  all  cease  when  death  occurs.  De- 
spite this  striking  fact  there  are  some  individuals, 
whose  minds,  though  trained  in  science,  are  so 
filled  Avith  prejudice  against  the  Catholic  doc- 
trines of  a  Creator  who  gave  us  a  soul  distinct 
from  the  body,  that  they  declare  that  ''the  dif- 
ferences between  life  and  death  are  rapidly  being 
done  away  with";  and  again,  that  ''the  difference 
between  a  living  and  a  dead  body  is  simply  the 
difference  between  the  building-up  and  the  break- 
ing-down processes  that  are  going  on."  Their 
fancied  wisdom,  which  is  really  folly,  is  an  apt 
illustration  of  what  our  divine  Master  warned  us 
against  when  He  said  that  "unless  you  become 
as  little  children  you  shall  not  enter  into  the  king- 


90 


HEALTH    AND    HAPPINESS 


dom  of  heaven'';  and  also  of  those  who  ^^ having 
eyes  to  see,  see  not,  and  having  ears  to  hear,  hear 
not;  and  again  (in  Luke  x.  21):  **Thou  hast 
hidden  these  things  from  the  wise  and  prudent, 
and  hast  revealed  them  to  little  ones."  For  the 
truth  which  seems  to  be  hidden  from  these  re- 


JusT  Befoee  He  Caught  the  Ball. 

nowned  men  of  science  is  instinctively  grasped  by 
the  smallest  Catholic  child,  who  can  tell  at  once 
the  immense  difference  between  a  living  and  a 
dead  dog  in  the  streets. 

6.  Some  of  the  operations  of  these  vital  proces- 
ses may  be  reproduced  in  the  laboratories  of  a 
chemist,  but  the  whole  process  cannot  be  repeated ; 


THE  ALIMENTARY  TRACT  91 

and  in  the  small  part  wliicli  be  is  able  to  perform, 
be  deliberately  takes  tbe  place  of  tbe  mysterious, 
inward  principle,  wbicb  is  our  life,  and  wbicb  does 
tbe  same  work,  tbat  causes  bim  sucb  time  and 
care,  witbout  any  trouble  to  us,  or  indeed,  with- 
out our  even  adverting  to  wbat  is  going  on  witbin 
us. 

7.  For  example,  be  is  able  to  produce  changes 
in  food,  wbicb  are  similar  to  tbe  changes  tbat 
occur  in  tbe  stomach  during  digestion.  But  no 
chemist  has  ever  been  able,  nor  ever  will  be  able, 
to  convert  tbat  changed  food  into  flesh  and  blood. 
Many  have  been  trying  to  do  that  for  years,  but 
all  have  failed;  and  the  most  honest,  as  well  as 
tbe  most  skilful  among  them,  now  acknowledge 
tbat  there  is  some  wondrous  agent  working  for 
us  in  our  bodies,  which  cannot  be  found  in  their 
laboratories. 

8.  Do  you  ever  stop  to  think  how  tbe  simple 
processes  of  changing  food  into  our  bodily  tissues 
show  unmistakably,  to  those  who  are  not  wilfully 
blind,  tbe  constant  care  of  tbe  master  Builder, 
whose  wisdom  not  only  made  us,  but  ever  pre- 
serves us  in  existence!  A  great  many  non- 
Catholics  look  upon  members  of  tbe  one  Church 
of  Christ  as  foolish,  because  we  believe  that  mira- 
cles occur.     Yet  every  day,  in  fact,  every  meal. 


92  HEALTH   AND   HAPPINESS 

they  know  that  the  food  which  they  eat  is  con- 
verted into  the  various  tissues  that  compose  their 
bodies.  How  can  men  who  see  that  their  eyes, 
their  ears,  their  tongues,  their  teeth,  their  hair, 
their  skin,  their  muscles  and  all  the  rest  of  what 
they  fancy  is  themselves,  are  being  constantly 
built  up  and  kept  in  good  condition  by  such  sub- 
stances as  meat  and  potatoes,  due  to  the  vital 
processes  which  God  alone  controls,  yet  refuse  to 
believe  that  the  same  Wonder-worker  can  easily 
restore  a  sick  person  to  health,  or  instantly  heal 
a  broken  bone!  It  is  clear  that  faith  must  be  a 
gift  of  God,  and  we,  to  whom  that  gift  has  been 
given,  cannot  be  too  thankful,  nor  take  too  much 
care  not  to  weaken  it,  nor  endanger  it  in  the  least. 

QUESTIONS 

1.  What  is  meant  by  the  alimentary  tract?     Of  what  is  it 

composed?    Is  it  necessary  to  chew  the  food  well ?    What 
is  the  process  called? 

2.  What  is  a  secretion?     Give  examples. 

3.  What  are  vital  processes?    How  many  can  you  name? 

4.  Define  each  vital  process. 

5.  What  do  vital  processes  show?    Do  all  admit  them? 
Do  all  admit  what  they  imply? 

6.  What  difference  exists  between  a  laboratory  process  and 

a  vital  process? 

7.  What  is  generally  acknowledged  by  honest  chemists? 

8.  What  does  the  process  of  body-bviilding  show? 


Chapter  IX 

DIGESTION— PART  I 

1.  Digestion  is  one  of  the  vital  processes  about 
which  we  have  been  speaking;  it  begins  in  the 
mouth,  not  in  the  stomach,  as  you  might  suppose. 
The  act  of  moving  the  jaws,  while  chewing  food, 
causes  saliva  to  be  squeezed  out  into  the  mouth 
from  the  salivary  glands.  Sometimes  the  mere 
thought  of  appetitizing  food  has  this  effect.  The 
smell  of  a  steak  broiling  on  the  fire  '^  makes  the 
mouth  water."  This  water,  or  saliva,  as  it  is 
called,  begins  the  change  in  the  food,  which  is  con- 
tinued in  the  stomach,  and  which  is  necessary  in 
order  that  it  may  be  assimilated,  or  changed  into 
our  flesh.  The  glands  from  which  it  flows  are 
situated,  one  in  each  cheek,  and  two  on  each  side 
of  the  floor  of  the  mouth,  six  in  all.  The  two  in 
the  cheeks  are  under  the  ears,  and  when  they  are 
choked  up  and  become  swollen,  they  produce  the 
condition  called  ''mumps."  If  you  should  ex- 
amine one  of  these  glands  under  the  microscope, 
you  would  find  that  it  is  made  up  of  bundles  of 


94 


HEALTH  AND   HAPPINESS 


little  tubes,  to  which  smaller  sacs  are  attached, 
looking  something  like  a  bunch  of  grapes.  All 
around  the  sacs  are  tiny  blood  vessels;  and  the 
vital  principle,  which  is  our  life,  causes  these 
sacs  to  abstract  the  fluid  part  from  the  blood  and 
to  store  it  up  within  their  walls.    When  a  supply 


Transporting  American  Troops  in  French  Trucks, 
Driven  by  Chinese. 


is  needed,  it  flows  from  the  sacs  through  the  tubes 
into  larger  ones,  called  ducts,  which  open  directly 
into  the  mouth.  The  saliva  is  flowing  while  we 
talk,  as  well  as  when  we  eat.  Otherwise  the 
mouth  would  become  dry  and  speech  would  be 
difficult. 

2.  While  the  food  is  being  ground  up  into  fine 
pieces  by  our  teeth,  it  is  also  being  moistened 


DIGESTION— PART   ONE  95 

by  the  saliva,  which  has  two  effects  on  it;  first, 
it  converts  it  to  a  soft,  pulpy  mass;  secondly,  it 
begins  to  digest  some  of  the  food.  We  should 
be  sure  to  take  enough  time  to  chew  our  food 
well.  Later  on  in  life,  people  have  serious  trouble 
in  the  stomach,  because  they  force  it  to  do  the 
work  that  God  intended  to  have  accomplished  in 
the  mouth,  when  He  placed  the  teeth  and  the 
salivary  glands  there. 

3.  The  food  being  thoroughly  masticated,  the 
tongue  seizes  it  and  forces  it  into  the  throat,  where 
by  the  contraction  of  the  muscles  it  is  pushed  down 
the  gullet  (or  esophagus),  into  the  stomach.  The 
stomach  is  a  large  pouch,  capable  of  holding  about 
three  pints.  It  is  about  twelve  inches  long,  and 
four  or  five  inches  wide.  The  food  generally  re- 
mains in  the  stomach  for  some  hours,  thus  obvi- 
ating the  necessity  of  eating  very  often.  If  we 
had  to  do  so,  we  should  not  have  time  for  the  other 
important  things  in  life. 

4.  The  stomach  lies  in  the  portion  of  the  trunk 
called  the  abdomen,  just  under  the  heart  and 
lungs,  and  separated  from  them  by  the  diaphragm. 
On  its  right  side,  behind  the  ribs,  lies  the  liver; 
on  its  left,  the  spleen.  It  has  two  openings ;  the 
one  which  joins  the  esophagus  is  named  the  car- 
diac orifice,  since  the  word  cardiac  refers  to  the 


96  HEALTH   AND   HAPPINESS 

heart,  near  which  this  opening  lies.  The  lower 
opening  is  called  the  pylorus  (meaning  ''a  gate- 
keeper''), and  joins  the  stomach  to  the  bowels,  or 
the  intestines. 


THE   WORK   OF  THE   STOMACH 

5.  In  the  stomach,  the  main  work  of  digestion 
occurs.  The  stomach  is  composed  of  strong 
muscles,  and  as  soon  as  food  enters,  these 
muscles  contract  about  it  and  squeeze  and  knead 
it  thoroughly,  rolling  it  back  and  forth  from  one 
end  to  the  other.  The  food  mass  has  a  peculiar 
motion,  travelling  down  from  the  cardiac  orifice 
along  the  two  sides  of  the  stomach,  and  when  it 
finds  the  pylorus  closed,  it  goes  back  through  the 
middle. 

6.  Just  as  in  the  mouth  there  are  glands  which 
manufacture  saliva,  so  in  the  stomach  there  are 
gastric  glands  which  furnish  gastric  juice,  which 
is  mixed  with  the  food  as  it  is  pushed  around,  and 
continues  the  process  of  digestion.  It  used  to  be 
thought  that  the  contact  of  the  food  with  the  stom- 
ach wall  mechanically  caused  the  flow  of  gastric 
juice.  But  in  the  last  century,  a  Canadian  hunter, 
named  St.  Martin,  was  terribly  wounded  in  the 
abdomen,  and  the  wound  healed  in  such  a  peculiar 


DIGESTION— PART  ONE  97 

way  that  a  hole  was  left  in  the  skin  into  the  stom- 
ach. Through  this  hole  food  could  be  passed,  and 
the  processes  that  take  place  within  could  be 
studied. 

7.  Experiments  have  also  been  made  on  differ- 
ent animals,  in  the  course  of  which  food  was  given 
them,  but  before  it  reached  the  stomach  was 
made  to  pass  out  through  an  artificial  opening 
below  the  mouth.  In  these  various  ways,  it 
has  been  learned  that  the  mere  smell  and  sight 
of  food,  and,  in  the  case  of  the  man,  the  mere 
thought  of  it,  when  he  was  hungry,  were  quite  suf- 
ficient to  start  the  action  of  the  gastric  glands. 

8.  These  facts  show  the  great  value  of  palat- 
able and  attractively  prepared  food.  They  also 
prove  the  presence  of  some  very  important  factor 
within  us,  which  is  higher  and  more  powerful  than 
any  mere  mechanical  or  chemical  stimulus  to  di- 
gestion, and  altogether  distinct  from  the  latter. 
This  goes  by  the  name  of  the  '^psychic  influence," 
and  it  can  never  be  satisfactorily  explained  except 
by  admitting  in  our  body  the  existence  of  a  living 
principle,  which  we  know  to  be  the  soul. 

9.  When  any  portion  of  the  food  is  properly 
prepared,  the  pylorus  opens  to  let  it  pass  into  the 
bowels,  and  then  shuts  quickly  again  until  another 
portion  is  ready  to  leave.     To  completely  empty 


98  HEALTH   AND   HAPPINESS 

the  stomach  takes  four  or  five  hours.  By  the 
^^ bowels''  is  meant  the  intestines,  which  are  from 
twenty  to  thirty  feet  long,  and  are  divided  into 
two  parts,  the  small  intestine  and  the  large  intes- 
tine. The  former  is  called  small  on  account  of 
its  size,  not  its  length,  as  it  is  very  much  the 
longer ;  it  lies  coiled  up  in  innumerable  twists  and 
curves  within  the  three  divisions  of  the  large  in- 
testine, which  are  called  the  ascending,  the  trans- 
verse and  the  descending  colon,  from  their  posi- 
tion in  the  abdomen. 

10.  Where  the  small  intestine  joins  the  large  is 
a  valve,  called  the  ileo-caecal  valve,  which  has  a 
function  for  the  small  intestine  similar  to  that  of 
the  pylorus  for  the  stomach.  Just  below  this  valve 
a  thin  narrow  pocket  opens  from  the  large  intes- 
tine. This  is  the  ^^ appendix,"  the  inflammation  of 
which  is  the  cause  of  many  operations  in  recent 
years.  Some  people  suppose  that  ^^appendicitis'' 
is  a  modern  disease.  This  is  not  the  case,  of 
course.  Appendicitis  is  simply  the  modern  name 
for  the  condition  formerly  called  ^  *  inflammation 
of  the  bowels,"  which  caused  the  death  of  many 
people.  Now  that  operations  have  become  very 
frequent,  and  their  technique  perfect,  lives  are 
saved  every  day  by  means  of  them;  hence  fool- 
ish fears  of  hospitals  and  of  surgeons  should  be 


DIGESTION— PART  ONE  99 

set  aside  when  the  family  physician  makes  the 
diagnosis  of  appendicitis,  urging  an  immediate 
operation.  It  is  quite  remarkable  to  notice  the 
attitude  of  mind  towards  the  hospital,  of  a  child, 
when  he  is  brought  in,  shrinking  and  crying,  and 
to  compare  his  timidity  and  repugnance  at  en- 
trance with  his  reluctance  to  leave,  after  he  has 
been  there  for  several  weeks,  being  petted  by  doc- 
tors and  nurses  and  constantly  receiving  the  kind 
ministrations  of  devoted  Sisters. 

QUESTIONS 

1.  What  is  digestion'?    Where  does  it  start? 

What  is  saliva!    Where  is  it  made?    How  is  it  made  to 

flow? 
What  is  mumps?     Describe  the  salivary  glands.     Is  the 

saliva  needed  for  any  other  purpose  than  eating? 

2.  How  many  effects  does  saliva  produce?     What  are  they? 

3.  After  mastication,  what  occurs  to  food? 

How  big  is  the  stomach?     How  long  does  food  remain 
there? 

4.  What  is  the  position  of  the  stomach?    How  many  openings 

has  it? 
What  are  they  called  and  why? 

5.  What  happens  to  food  in  the  stomach. 

6.  What  are  gastric  glands? 

7.  What  starts  the  action  of  these  glands? 

8.  What  does  this  show? 

9.  How  does  the  pylorus  act?     How  long  are  the  intestines? 
What  are  its  divisions? 

10.  What  is  the  valve  at  the  junction  of  the  small  and  large 
intestines?   What  is  its  function?   What  is  appendicitis? 


Chapter  X 
DIGESTION— PART   II 

1.  In  the  mouth  the  saliva  has  been  acting  upon 
certain  parts  of  the  food.  Other  parts  have  been 
subjected  to  the  influence  of  the  gastric  juice  in 
the  stomach.  Now,  in  the  intestine,  there  are  three 
other  fluids  which  aid  the  digestion  of  the  food. 
One  of  these  comes  from  glands  situated  in  the 
walls  of  the  intestine  itself,  and  this  is  called  the 
succus  entericus,  or  intestinal  juice.  The  other 
two  come  from  two  large  organs  in  the  abdomen, 
the  liver  and  the  pancreas. 

2.  The  pancreas  is  what  is  called  sweetbread  in 
calves.  It  lies  across  the  abdomen  behind  the 
stomach,  and  is  about  six  or  seven  inches  long.  It 
furnishes  a  secretion  which  is  poured  out  through 
a  duct  on  to  the  food  in  the  intestine.  This  secre- 
tion is  more  important  as  an  agent  in  digestion 
than  all  the  other  digestive  fluids  put  together. 
Most  of  our  knowledge  about  this  organ  comes 
from  a  great  French  Catholic  scientist,  Claude 
Bernard. 

100 


DIGESTION— PART  TWO 


101 


3.  The  wonderful  way  in  which  one  part  of  the 
body  cooperates  with  the  other  parts  is  shown  by 
the  pancreatic  secretion.  When  the  gastric  juice 
leaves  the  stomach,  it  strikes  the  walls  of  the  first 
portion  of  the  small  intestine  and  causes  a  certain 


Right  and  Wrong  Posture. 

substance  which  develops  there  to  be  changed  in 
such  a  way  that  the  blood  may  take  it  up  and  carry 
it  to  the  pancreas,  where  it  at  once  stimulates  the 
flow  of  the  pancreatic  juice.  Moreover,  the  action 
of  the  saliva  ceases  as  soon  as  the  food  enters  the 
stomach,  but  when  it  enters  the  small  intestine 
anything  the  saliva  has  left  undone  is  set  to  rights 


102  HEALTH   AND   HAPPINESS 

by  the  pancreatic  juice.  In  like  manner,  the  gas- 
tric juice  loses  its  effect  when  the  food  leaves  the 
stomach,  but  what  it  may  have  failed  to  accom- 
plish is  finished  by  the  pancreatic  juice.  Then  it 
assists  the  liver  in  the  work  of  digesting  fats  and 
oils.  Since  its  task  is  so  important  and  diverse  in 
the  preparation  of  food  for  absorption,  it  may 
readily  be  surmised  that  if  it  is  out  of  order  or 
becomes  diseased,  serious  defects  ensue  in  the 
proper  nutrition  of  the  body,  as  a  result. 

4.  The  secretions  of  pancreatic,  as  well  as  of 
gastric  juice,  and  saliva,  are  vital  actions ;  that  is, 
they  are  manufactured  by  the  living  force  of 
the  soul  and  do  not  occur  where  life  does  not 
exist.  But  the  action  of  these  different  secretions 
on  the  food  is  a  chemical  action  which  can  be  made 
to  take  place  outside  the  body  in  a  glass  tube, 
almost  as  well  as  in  the  alimentary  canal.  It  is 
necessary  to  remember  this  distinction,  as  it  is 
lost  sight  of  by  those  who  speak  only  of  the  chem- 
ical effect  of  these  digestive  fluids,  not  of  their 
production,  thus  eliminating  any  reference  to  the 
soul. 

5.  The  last  of  the  five  secretions  which  aid  di- 
gestion comes  from  the  liver,  and  is  called  bile. 
The  liver  is  a  large  organ,  situated  in  the  abdomen 
to  the  right  of  the  stomach,  just  under  the  dia- 


DIGESTION— PART  TWO  103 

phragm,  behind  the  lowest  ribs.  The  functions  of 
the  liver  are  manifold,  but  the  one  which  interests 
us  here  is  the  manufacture  of  bile.  This  liquid  is 
not  only  a  digestive  secretion,  playing  an  impor- 
tant part  in  the  digestion  of  fats,  but  is  also  an 
excretion  carrying  off  some  of  the  waste  products 
of  the  body.  The  bile  is  constantly  being  formed, 
but  until  it  is  needed  for  digestion,  it  is  stored  up 
in  the  gall-bladder,  which  is  a  pouch  attached  to 
the  under  surface  of  the  liver.  The  bile  contains 
salts  which  sometimes  form  crystals,  these  may 
increase  in  size,  or  become  very  numerous,  so  that 
they  block  up  the  passage  leading  from  the  gall- 
bladder to  the  intestines  and  cause  a  great  deal  of 
pain  in  trying  to  force  their  way  through.  These 
are  called  gallstones.  They  are  found  in  varying 
numbers  up  to  thousands,  usually  requiring  sur- 
gical interference  for  their  removal. 

6.  The  passage  from  the  gall-bladder  is  called 
the  bile  duct.  If  this  becomes  inflamed  from  any 
cause,  it  becomes  swollen.  The  swelling  prevents 
the  bile  from  getting  into  the  intestines  and  forces 
it  back  into  the  gall-bladder,  where  the  blood  takes 
it  up  and  tries  to  get  rid  of  it  through  the  skin. 
The  bile  contains  a  yellow  pigment;  when  this  is 
deposited  in  the  skin,  it  causes  the  condition 
known  as  jaundice. 


104  HEALTH   AND   HAPPINESS 

7.  The  chief  action  of  bile  is  to  break  up  fats 
into  glycerine  and  fatty  acids,  so  that  they  may  be 
absorbed;  because  fat,  as  such,  cannot  pass 
through  the  membrane  of  the  intestinal  walls. 
After  passing  through  in  this  divided  state,  by 
some  mysterious  power  which  is  unexplainable  if 
the  vital  action  is  eliminated,  the  divided  sub- 
stances reunite  and  are  deposited  as  fat  in  the 
tissues.  The  bile  has  also  a  marked  laxative 
action. 

8.  The  liver  is  one  of  the  most  important  organs 
of  the  body,  so  important,  in  fact,  that  one  could 
not  live  if  it  should  be  removed.  It  acts  as  a  store- 
house where  various  substances  are  kept  until 
they  are  required  by  the  needs  of  the  tissues. 
All  the  foods,  except  the  fats,  are  carried  there 
from  the  intestines  by  the  blood.  What  is  not 
immediately  needed  is  changed  into  a  substance 
called  glycogen.  When  no  food  has  been  ingested 
for  some  time  and  the  body  is  craving  for  it,  or 
when  a  particular  need  is  felt  at  some  special 
place,  the  blood  travels  down  to  the  liver,  picks  up 
a  little  glycogen  and  carries  it  where  it  is  required 
to  supply  the  want.  During  the  winter  months, 
hibernating  animals,  such  as  the  bear  and  the  frog, 
live  upon  this  glycogen,  as  well  as  on  the  fat  which 
they  have  stored  in  their  bodies.    Snakes  also  live 


DIGESTION— PART  TWO  105 

in  this  way.  In  early  springtime  colonies  of  flies 
are  sometimes  found  clinging  to  southern  win- 
dowSo  They  have  been  there  from  the  preceding 
summer ;  the  little  nourishment  they  required  dur- 
ing the  Avinter  must  also  have  been  furnished  by 
the  liver. 

QUESTIONS 

1.  How  many  fluids  aid  the  digestion  in  the  intestines? 

2.  What  and  where  is  the  pancreas? 
Who  first  described  it? 

3.  How  is  the  juice  of  the  pancreas  stimulated?  What  is  its 

action  ? 

4.  What  is  the  meaning  of  the  vital  and  the  chemical  action 

of  the  glands  f 

5.  Where  is  the  liver?     What  is  bile?     Where  is  it  stored? 
How  are  gall-stones  formed? 

6.  What  is  jaundice? 

7.  What  is  the  chief  action  of  bile? 

3..  Of  how  much  importance  is  the  liver? 

How  do  .hibernating  animals  live  in  the  winter? 


Chapter  XI 

ASSIMILATION  OF  FOOD 

1.  The  food  wMch  has  been  eaten  is  now  much 
changed  by  the  action  of  the  ^ve  digestive  juices, 
and  is  ready  to  be  absorbed.  This  process  of  ab- 
sorption is  called  assimilation.  Very  little  of  this 
occurs  in  the  mouth,  though  some  substances,  like 
poisons,  may  seem  to  be  absorbed  there  in  a  suf- 
ficient quantity  to  cause  death.  There  is  not  much 
absorption  in  the  stomach  either,  though  alcohol 
is  absorbed  there.  Water,  if  taken  alone,  passes 
directly  through.  The  absorption  of  food  takes 
place  mainly  in  the  small  intestine,  and  is  effected 
by  the  vital  activity  of  the  membrane  that  lines  it. 
It  is  again  necessary  to  insist  on  this  point,  as 
some  physiologists  have  claimed  that  assimilation 
of  food  within  the  body  is  due  merely  to  the  phys- 
ical phenomena  of  filtration,  or  osmosis,  or  diffu- 
sion. Filtration  and  osmosis  both  mean  the 
passage  of  fluids  through  a  piece  of  membrane, 
such  as  a  parchment ;  and  diffusion  is  the  tendency 
that  vapors  have  to  spread,  due  to  the  fact  that 

106 


ASSIMILATION  OF  FOOD  lor 

the  materials  of  which  gases  are  composed  have 
the  power  of  locomotion.  This  is  observed  when 
a  bottle  of  cologne  is  opened;  the  vapor  escapes 
and  begins  to  penetrate  all  through  the  room, 
showing  its  presence  by  the  pleasant  odor. 

2.  All  these  phenomena  are  paralleled  by  what 
takes  place  during  assimilation;  but  in  this  latter 
process  there  is  an  evident  selection  of  materials 
to  supply  needs,  such  as  is  never  found  anywhere 
outside  the  bodily  membrane  which  is  endowed 
with  life.  Given  the  same  conditions  outside  the 
body;  for  instance,  the  same  materials,  the  same 
weight,  the  same  heat,  the  same  filter,  etc.,  the 
same  results  may  confidently  be  expected.  But 
the  results  that  occur  in  assimilation  do  not  de^ 
pend  upon  the  conditions  of  the  materials  so  much 
as  upon  the  bodily  needs,  so  that  now  one  kind 
of  food  is  taken  up,  now  another,  some  here,  some 
there,  according  to  whether  or  not  the  tissues 
should  be  built  up  or  repaired,  in  this  part  or  that, 
or  demands  arise  suddenly  from  exercise,  illness, 
a  wound  or  any  other  cause. 

3.  The  length  of  the  intestine  is  about  thirty 
feet,  as  has  been  said ;  but  the  length  of  the  assim^ 
ilating  surface  is  much  increased  by  the  fact  that 
the  lining  membrane  is  not  smooth,  but  is  filled 
with  tiny  projections,  which  give  it  a  velvety  ap~ 


108  HEALTH   AND   HAPPINESS 

pearance.  These  projections  are  called  villi.  They 
dip  down  into  the  digested  food  as  its  passes  along 
the  food-canal,  very  much  as  roots  of  plants  dip 
down  into  the  earth  and  suck  up  moisture  and 
sustenance. 

4.  In  the  centre  of  each  villus  is  a  small  tube, 
called  the  central  lacteal,  into  which  the  living 
membrane  covering  the  villus  absorbs  the  dis- 
solved fatty  substance.  Each  lacteal  joins  with 
the  others,  forming  a  chain  of  vessels,  known  as 
the  lymphatic  system,  which  terminates  in  a  large 
tube  in  the  chest,  called  the  thoracic  duct.  This 
duct  empties  directly  into  a  large  vein  which  goes 
to  the  heart. 

5.  Besides  the  lacteals,  in  each  villus  there  are 
also  tiny  blood  vessels,  which  pick  up  all  the  rest 
of  the  food  materials,  and  send  it  along  through 
the  abdomen  until  it  is  poured  into  a  large  vein, 
the  portal  vein,  Avhich  brings  it  to  the  liver.  To 
this  organ,  therefore,  is  carried  all  the  food  which 
is  ingested,  except  the  fats.  As  soon  as  the  portal 
vein  enters  the  liver,  it  breaks  up  into  innumerable 
tiny  branches,  which  penetrate  every  part  of  the 
liver  substance ;  this  at  once  sets  to  work,  changing 
the  food  particles  still  further  into  the  form  in 
which  they  may  later  become  part  of  the  body  tis- 
sues.   What  is  not  required  immediately,  it  stores 


ASSIMILATION  OF  FOOD 


10^ 


tip.  Tlie  remainder  is  sent'  to  the  right  side  of 
the  heart,  and  is  pumped  into  the  Inngs,  where  it 
probably  undergoes  more  changes  by  being 
brought  in  contact  with  the  oxygen  in  the  air. 
From  the  lungs  it  comes  back  to  the  left  side  of 
the  heart ;  through  a  big  artery,  called  the  aorta, 


I  nttr  national 

A  Race  in  the  Harvard-Yale-Oxford-Cambeidge 
International  Meet. 

it  is  then  pumped  to  all  parts  of  the  body,  as  has 
been  seen. 

6.  The  aorta  sends  off  many  branches — up  to 
the  brain,  off  to  the  arms,  out  to  all  the  various 
organs  and  down  to  the  legs.  Each  branch  divides 
and  subdivides,  until  no  portion  of  the  body  is  left 
unprovided  for.     Wherever  a  cut  is  made,  you 


110  HEALTH   AND   HAPPINESS 

know  that  blood  oozes  forth;  and  remember  that 
the  blood  has  not  been  lying  loose  in  the  tissues, 
but  is  contained  in  the  tiny  blood  vessels,  which 
are  called  capillaries  (from  the  Latin  word,  capil- 
his,  meaning  hair),  because  they  are  so  fine  and 
hairlike. 

FOODS 

7.  Our  food  is  derived  from  (1)  the  animal 
kingdom,  (2)  the  vegetable  kingdom  (plants). 
We  should  desire  and  make  an  effort  to  obtain 
fresh,  clean  and  wholesome  foods.  Legislation 
has  done  much  in  the  past  few  years  to  improve 
matters  in  this  regard,  but  each  one  should  be 
vigilant  in  his  own  interests,  and  those  of  his  fam- 
ily, to  ward  off  infection.  This  is  much  more 
likely  to  come  from  the  animal  than  the  vegetable 
kingdom,  especially  from  meat  and  milk. 

8.  Food  affects  our  health  in  many  ways : 

(1)  It  may  itself  be  poisonous,  as  certain  mush- 
rooms, or  some  kinds  of  fish. 

(2)  It  may  contain  poisons  or  chemical  sub- 
stances, added  as  adulterants;  for  example,  lead, 
arsenic  or  copper. 

(3)  Poison  may  develop  in  the  food,  either  be- 
fore eating  or  afterwards,  as  the  result  of  the 
action  of  certain  germs. 


ASSIMILATION  OF  FOOD  111 

(4)  Food  may  contain  worms  or  germs,  as  the 
germs  of  typhoid  fever  in  oysters. 

(5)  Some  people  are  unable  to  digest  certain 
kinds  of  foods  which  are  usually  harmless  to 
others,  as  strawberries,  eggs,  tomatoes. 

(6)  Too  much  food  causes  diseases  of  the  liver, 
kidneys  and  heart,  and  obesity  (which  means  a 
state  of  being  too  fat). 

(7)  Not  enough  food,  or  not  the  right  kind, 
brings  about  ill  health. 

(8)  Lack  of  certain  lime  salts  or  acids,  pro- 
duces disease  of  the  bones,  resulting  in  deformity. 

(9)  Eating  when  tired,  or  eating  too  fast,  will 
induce  indigestion. 

(10)  Most  people  drink  too  little  water,  espe- 
cially between  meals. 

(11)  The  chewing  of  gum  is  a  most  undesirable 
habit  from  every  possible  point  of  view.  Do  not 
indulge  in  it. 

9.  Food  is  the  fuel  for  the  body-engine ;  oxygen 
in  the  air  that  is  breathed  is  the  fan  that  makes 
the  fire  flame.  Active  breathing  of  fresh  air  is, 
therefore,  a  great  aid  to  assimilation.  Probably 
you  all  have  noticed  how  life  in  the  open  air  helps 
digestion  and  increases  the  appetite. 

10.  Food  has  two  uses;  viz,,  (1)  for  growth  and 
repair  of  the  tissue,  and  (2)  to  supply  energy  for 


112  HEALTH   AND   HAPPINESS 

motion  and  heat  of  the  body.  More  than  four- 
fifths  of  the  total  energy,  that  comes  from  our  food 
is  expended  in  the  production  of  heat,  less  than 
one-fifth  in  motion.  As  we  are  moving  in  some 
way  almost  all  the  time,  we  can  form  some  idea  of 
the  amount  of  heat  production  that  is  going  on  in 
the  body  furnace.  The  temperature  of  the  body 
ought  to  be  about  98.6  degrees.  If  it  rises  above 
that  point,  the  person  is  said  to  have  a  fever. 

11.  As  for  exercise,  so  for  food — too  little  or  too 
much  may  be  taken.  The  latter  fault  is  much  the 
more  common.  Gluttony  is  one  of  the  seven 
deadly  sins;  it  causes  the  speedy  wearing  out  of 
all  the  organs  of  the  digestive  apparatus,  also 
serious  heart  trouble.  Headache,  weariness,  dizzi- 
ness and  coated  tongue  sometimes  spring  from 
nothing  but  an  engorged  stomach  and  intestines. 
In  order  to  keep  well  there  should  be  a  movement 
of  the  bowels  once  or  twice  each  day,  and  nothing 
should  be  allowed  to  interfere  with  this  most  im- 
portant duty. 

12.  One  way  to  bring  God's  blessing  upon  our 
food  is  to  say  grace  properly  before  and  after 
meals.  We  should  try  to  say  it  with  reverence, 
remembering  that  the  food  we  eat  has  really  been 
provided  for  our  needs  out  of  the  bounty  and 


ASSIMILATION  OF  FOOD 


113 


watchfulness  of  Him  to  whom  we  pray  for  ''our 
daily  bread. ' ' 


VITAMINES 


13.  Nowadays  we  hear  a  great  deal  of  talk  about 
certain  qualities  of  food  which  are  spoken  of  as 


Central  News 

Vincent  Richards  of  Fordham  Playing  Tennis. 

vitamines,  meaning  ''life-giving,"  from  the  Latin 
word  vita,  life.  They  get  their  name  from  a  Polish 
chemist,  Dr.  Casimir  Funk,  who  made  extracts  of 
the  polishings  of  rice,  and  after  many  trials  got  a 
crystalline  substance,  the  chemical  nature  of  which 
is  a  puzzle.  Polished  rice  is  nothing  more  mysteri- 


114  HEALTH   AND   HAPPINESS 

ous  than  the  kind  you  buy  at  your  grocer's,  but 
from  which  the  hulls  have  been  completely  re- 
moved. It  has  been  found  on  experiment  that  the 
feeding  of  such  rice  to  birds  causes  them  to  suffer 
from  various  nervous  disorders;  but  the  strange 
point  is  that  if  this  extract  from  the  polishings  is 
given  to  the  birds,  they  rapidly  recover  from  their 
disorders. 

14.  Following  Dr.  Funk,  other  observers  noticed 
that  there  was  evidently  some  quality  in  the  yolk 
of  egg  and  the  fat  of  butter,  which  not  only  helped 
growth,  but  was  quite  essential  for  any  growth. 
Other  oils  and  fats  were  found  not  to  possess  this 
quality,  or  if  they  did,  not  in  the  state  useful  for 
the  bird  to  which  they  were  fed.  Other  men  made 
further  experiments,  until  to-day  we  know  that 
there  are  at  least  three  kinds  of  vitamines,  which 
are  found  in  different  foods.  They  are  so  neces- 
sary that  if  absent,  the  food,  although  perfectly 
good  in  every  other  respect,  fails  to  nourish. 

15.  Despite  all  the  investigations,  not  much  that 
is  actually  definite  has  yet  been  discovered,  but  it  is 
certain  that  all  the  necessary  vitamines  are  found 
in  milk  and  green  vegetables,  so  that  if  you  only 
drink  plenty  of  good  milk  and  eat  some  fresh  salad 
every  day,  you  will  have  all  the  vitamines  in  your 
food  that  you  need. 


ASSIMILATION   OF  FOOD  115 

16.  Years  ago,  people  thought  that  they  knew 
all  there  was  to  know  about  such  simple  things  as 
foodstuffs.  Now  they  are  just  beginning  to  realize 
that  they  actually  know  very  little  of  the  real  qual- 
ities which  make  foods  nourishing.  Yet  some 
people  presume  to  assert  that  they  know  all  about 
such  a  complex  array  of  substances  as  make  up 
the  human  body.  '^  Where  ignorance  is  bliss,  'tis 
folly  to  be  wise'';  but  one  cannot  help  pitying 
their  blindness.  The  fool  thinks  that  he  knows 
everything;  the  wise  man  realizes  how  extremely 
small  is  the  amount  of  his  knowledge. 


QUESTIONS 

1.  What  is  assimilation?     How  is  it  obtained? 

2.  What   is    the    difference   between    assimilation    and    other 

processes  ? 

3.  What  are  villi?     What  is  their  purpose? 

4.  Describe  the  lymphatic  system. 

5.  What  is  the  portal  vein?     What  does  it  cany? 
How  does  it  divide? 

6.  W^hy  does  blood  issue  wherever  a  cut  is  made  in  the  flesh? 

7.  Where  do  our  foods  come  from?     What  is  infection? 

8.  How  may  food  affect  health? 

9.  How  does  breathing  fresh  air  help  assimilation? 

10.  Of  what  use  is  food?     How  much  is  needed  for  heating 
the  body? 
What  is  a  fever? 
IJ.  What  care  should  be  taken  in  regard  to  food? 
12,  What  is  the  importance  of  saying  grace? 


116  HEALTH   AND   HAPPINESS 

13.  What  are  vitaminesf     How  were  they  discovered? 

14.  How  many  kinds  of  vitamines  are  there?     Of  how  much 

importance  are  they? 

15.  Where  are  the  necessary  ones  to  be  found? 

16.  What  is  the  lesson  they  teach? 


Chapter  XII 
THE  WONDERFUL  EYE 

1.  The  possession  of  a  camera  has  become  so 
common  nowadays  that  it  is  probable  that  many 
readers  of  this  chapter  call  one  their  own.  Taking 
pictures  is  an  agreeable  pastime;  unless  it  de- 
velops into  a  mania,  it  is  a  very  good  means  of 
preserving  for  us  scenes  and  persons  with  whom 
pleasant  memories  will  always  be  associated. 

2.  There  are  many  parts  to  a  camera;  modern 
inventions  have  made  them  so  perfect  that  clear 
and  distinct  pictures  may  be  taken  even  of  rapidly 
moving  people  or  objects;  for  example,  of  runners, 
or  of  a  ball  on  its  way  towards  the  bat  from  a 
pitcher's  hands.  High-priced  cameras,  however, 
are  often  far  beyond  the  reach  of  many  a  wistful 
girl  or  boy  who  gazes  with  envy  at  the  owners  of 
such  treasures.  But  though  the  girl  and  boy  may 
not  possess  a  kodak,  they  have  for  their  very  own, 
as  a  free  gift  from  their  Creator,  not  merely  one, 
but  two  cameras,  each  far  more  wonderful  than 
any  which  can  be  purchased  with  money, 

117 


118 


HEALTH   AND   HAPPINESS 


Section  Through  the  Heap, 


THE  WONDERFUL  EYE  119 

3.  A  camera  left  to  itself  can  do  nothing.  It 
might  face  a  landscape  all  day  long  without  re- 
producing a  single  tree.  The  owner  must  know 
how  to  adjust  it  properly,  or  his  pictures  will  be 
blurred.  He  must  provide  it  with  a  film  or  plate, 
a  new  one  for  each  picture.  He  must  treat  the 
film  later  with  various  chemical  solutions ;  the  re- 
sult obtained  depends  upon  the  amount  of  care  he 
takes. 

4.  But  our  wondrous  eyes  do  all  these  things 
themselves,  without  bothering  their  owners  at  all. 
You  do  not  need  to  open  or  shut  the  pupil  for  a 
distant  or  near  object,  nor  for  a  dim  or  strong 
light.  You  do  not  concern  yourself  about  length- 
ening or  widening  the  lens  in  order  to  bring  the 
scene  into  proper  focus.  No  care  is  required  to 
remove  the  film  from  the  back  of  the  eye,  and  to 
put  a  fresh  one  in  place  for  each  picture. 

5.  Instead,  then,  of  fretting,  if  you  cannot  have 
an  expensive  camera,  thank  God  for  His  gift  of 
your  two  eyes ;  and  try  to  learn  something  about 
them,  so  that  you  may  understand  how  to  take  bet- 
ter pictures  than  the  highest  priced  photographer 
in  town.  Just  try  some  experiments  on  yourself. 
Shut  your  eyes  for  ten  minutes,  then  imagine  what 
it  must  mean  to  be  blind.  Let  someone  blindfold 
you,  and  after  the  first  thrill  of  fun  has  subsided. 


120  HEALTH   AND   HAPPINESS 

try  to  walk  about  without  bumping  into  things ; 
try  to  eat  your  dinner  in  that  condition.  You  will 
find  that  you  hardly  know  the  way  to  your  mouth. 

6.  Then  suppose  that,  through  some  terrible 
mistake,  the  handkerchief  had  been  so  placed 
that  it  was  found  absolutely  impossible  to  remove 
it.  What  do  you  think  would  be  your  feelings  when 
you  realized  that  never  again  could  you  see  your 
dear  father  and  mother,  your  brothers  and  sisters, 
your  home  and  all  its  pleasant  rooms?  What 
would  you  do  if  told  that  the  sun  and  the  stars,  all 
the  glory  of  the  winter  sky,  the  trees,  the  grass, 
the  beautiful  flowers,  the  mighty  ocean,  the  flowing 
rivers,  the  hills  and  mountains,  all  the  beloved, 
familiar  sights  which  are  the  joy  of  your  life,  a 
very  big  part  of  it — that  all  these  things  on  which 
you  had  been  accustomed  to  gaze  as  a  matter  of 
course,  were  to  be  hidden  forevermore  from  your 
view? 

7.  Eeflect  for  a  moment  how  helpless  you  would 
be,  if  you  should  forget  all  that  you  have  learned 
through  the  means  of  your  eyes.  Imagine  what  it 
would  actually  mean  never  to  be  able  to  read 
again,  to  be  obliged  to  depend  entirely  upon  your 
other  senses  for  all  information  about  current 
news,  to  be  shut  off  from  any  further  acquaintance 
with  the  literature  of  the  world  ^s  best  authors. 


THE  WONDERFUL  EYE  121 

except  at  the  cost  of  the  untiring  devotion  of  your 
friends. 

8.  Yet  we  take  it  so  mucli  for  granted  that  these 
twin  servants,  our  eyes,  should  teach  us  to  know 
and  enjoy  all  these  things,  without  interruption, 
without  complaint  or  fatigue,  without  our  thinking 
about  them  in  the  least.  We  do  not  need  to  give 
them  any  commands.  We  do  not  need  to  care  that 
they  are  oiled  and  greased  when  our  constant  use 
of  them  has  worn  out  their  delicate  parts.  With- 
out a  word  from  us,  without  assistance  from  any 
other  part  of  the  body,  they  repair  their  own 
damages,  they  keep  themselves  in  good  condition, 
if  only  we  do  not  abuse  them. 

9.  But  is  anybody  so  foolish  as  to  abuse  these 
faithful  servants'?  Yes,  indeed;  perhaps  you  are 
guilty.  You  abuse  your  eyes  by  rubbing  them, 
thus  making  them  inflamed,  and  by  pushing  into 
their  outer,  fine  coverings  dirt  and  germs  from 
your  fingers.  You  also  hurt  them  by  reading  in 
a  dim  light,  such  as  twilight,  or  when  the  light  is 
unsteady  or  flickering,  as  when  riding  on  trains 
or  trolleys.  You  wrong  your  eyes  by  washing 
them  in  a  public  wash  basin,  or  by  wiping  them 
with  a  common  towel,  because  you  may  introduce 
in  this  manner  foreign  substances  which  cause  dis- 
ease, that  leaves  the  eyes  weak  and  inflamed  ever 


122  HEALTH   AND   HAPPINESS 

afterwards.  Yon  maltreat  your  eyes  by  applying 
to  them  any  washes  or  salves,  except  on  the  advice 
of  a  physician. 

10.  Yon  may  strain  yonr  eyes  by  not  providing 
them  with  glasses,  Avhen  yon  find  that  yon  are 
obliged  to  hold  the  book  close  to  yonr  face  in  order 
to  read,  or  when  yon  cannot  see  from  yonr  desk 
all  the  writing  on  the  blackboard.  Some  people 
imagine  that  they  will  ontgrow  their  eye  tronble 
by  refusing  to  get  glasses;  whereas,  if  they  need 
them,  they  are  only  increasing  the  tronble  the 
longer  they  remain  without  them. 

11.  Young  people  sometimes  carry  their  head  to 
one  side,  or  are  forced  into  a  disfiguring  squint, 
because  they  will  not  visit  an  oculist  who  would 
correct  their  faulty  vision.  Many  cases  of  ner- 
vousness, indigestion  and  headache  are  cured 
merely  by  wearing  suitable  glasses.  From  re- 
peated examinations  in  schools,  it  has  been  esti- 
mated that  at  least  a  quarter  of  a  million  of  the 
children  of  the  United  States  ought  to  be  wearing 
glasses,  but  through  ignorance  or  carelessness  are 
not  doing  so.  If  you  hold  the  book  nearer  than 
one  foot  to  your  face,  then  you  need  glasses  to 
correct  shortsightedness.  If  you  can  read  com- 
fortably, but  cannot  see  well  at  a  distance,  then 
glasses   are   required  to   remedy  farsightedness. 


THE  WONDERFUL  EYE  123 

When  objects  are  blurred  at  all  distances,  then 
the  outer  shape  of  the  eyes  ought  to  be  helped 
by  properly  fitting  glasses. 

12.  The  lining  of  the  back  of  the  eye  is  called  the 
retina,  and  it  is  here  that  the  image  of  the  object 
that  we  see  is  formed.  In  shortsightedness,  this 
image  falls  short  and  in  front  of  the  retina;  in 
farsightedness,  it  comes  to  a  focus  behind  the  ret- 
ina ;  in  the  third  case,  which  is  called  astigmatism, 
it  may  fall  on  the  retina,  but  its  outlines  are  not 
clearly  defined,  therefore  the  picture  is  blurred. 

13.  The  image  is  always  upside  down  on  the 
retina,  just  as  it  is  on  the  film  in  the  camera. 
When  you  have  taken  a  picture  with  your  kodak, 
you  must  remove  the  film,  and  then  wait  to  see 
the  result  until  the  photographer  can  have  it  de- 
veloped. But  when  the  image  is  pictured  on  the 
retina  of  the  eye,  immediately  it  sends  a  message 
along  the  track  of  the  optic  nerves  to  the  brain, 
and  you  at  once  see  the  object.  The  development 
is  instantaneous. 

14.  What  is  really  the  thing  that  goes  from  the 
object  into  the  interior  of  the  eye!  Certainly  the 
object  itself  does  not  leave  its  position  and  pierce 
the  eye  through  the  pupil.  No,  but  light  does. 
Light  is  reflected  from  the  object  upon  the  retina. 
There  it  starts  into  activity  the  cells,  which  are 


124  HEALTH  AND  HAPPINESS 

called,  from  their  shape,  rods  and  cones.  These 
cells  are  connected  with  the  optic  nerves,  and  the 
stimnlus  is  flashed  along  their  course  to  the  back 
of  the  brain,  where  we  appreciate  the  colors, 
shapes  and  sizes  of  the  objects  from  which  the 
light  was  reflected. 

15.  Light  travels  very  rapidly,  about  186,000 
miles  per  second.  It  gives  ns  some  idea  of  the 
enormous  distance  of  the  universe,  in  which  the 
almighty  Creator  placed  our  planet,  to  be  told  by 
astronomers  that  the  light  is  now  travelling 
through  space  towards  the  earth  from  stars  which 
have  possibly  ceased  to  exist.  They  also  tell  us 
that  some  stars  are  so  far  away  that  the  light  from 
them  has  not  yet  reached  us. 

16.  There  is  a  lens  in  every  camera.  There  is 
also  a  lens  in  the  eye,  only  the  latter  is  a  living 
substance  and,  therefore,  can  shorten  and  widen 
itself  in  order  to  bring  a  near  object  to  an  exact 
focus  on  the  retina.  In  like  manner,  it  can 
lengthen  and  flatten  itself  for  the  same  purpose, 
if  the  object  is  at  a  distance.  You  will  learn  more 
about  a  lens  and  a  focus  in  your  study  of  physics 
The  lens  of  the  eye  is  called  crystalline.  It  divide; 
the  eye  into  two  chambers,  the  one  in  front  being 
very  much  the  smaller.    Each  is  filled  with  fluid, 


THE  WONDERFUL  EYE 


ns 


which  helps  the  lens  to  focus  the  object  properly 
upon  the  retina. 

17.  Sometimes  old  people  are  said  to  have  a 
cataract.  This  means  that  the  lens  has  lost  its 
power  of  shortening  and  lengthening  and  has  be- 
come  opaqne.     In  this   condi-      

tion,  it  can  no  longer  do  its 
work  of  focusing,  so  it  is  re- 
moved through  a  little  slit 
which  the  surgeon  makes  in 
the  upper  part  of  the  eye. 
After  the  eye  becomes  accus- 
tomed to  its  loss,  it  settles 
down  to  its  work  again  with 
the  aid  of  very  thick  glasses 
which  take  the  place  of  the 
lens. 

18.  The  colored  portion  of 
the  eye  is  the  iris,  the  hole  in  its 
centre  is  the  pupil,  through 
which  light  is  reflected.  The 
iris  is  a  muscle ;  therefore  it  makes  the  pupil  small 
or  big  by  contracting  or  expanding.  The  eyes  are 
set  into  a  bony  cavity  of  the  skull  which  is  called 
the  orbit.  They  are  protected  by  the  eyebrows, 
the  eyelids  and  eyelashes.  They  are  kept  free 
from  dust,  while  the  lids  are  kept  moist,  by  the 


Central  News 

A  Jump  Like  This 

Requires  Good 

Sight. 

(12  ft.  i  in.) 


126  HEALTH   AND   HAPPINESS 

tears.  These  come  from  a  small  tear  *  ^factory," 
called  the  lachrymal  glands,  which  are  placed  in 
the  outer  corner  of  each  eye,  behind  the  upper 
eyelid.  The  tears  pass  across  the  outside  of  the 
eyes,  and  keep  them  moist  and  clear.  They  drain 
into  the  nose  through  a  little  duct  at  the  inner 
corner  of  each  eye.  When  we  are  affected  by 
emotion,  the  tears  are  manufactured  in  such  abun- 
dance that  the  ducts  are  unable  to  carry  them  all 
away,  and  so  they  overflow  the  lids  and  run  down 
the  cheeks. 

19.  Each  eye  is  moved  by  six  small  muscles, 
which  turn  the  pupil  in  all  directions.  "When  a 
person  squints,  some  of  the  muscles  are  not  work- 
ing properly.  This  defect  should  be  corrected  by 
consulting  a  physician,  who  may  be  obliged  to  cut 
one  of  these  muscles.  Sometimes  it  may  be  rem- 
edied by  wearing  glasses.  It  may  happen  that  a 
foreign  body,  such  as  a  small  gnat  or  a  cinder, 
gets  into  your  eye.  In  such  a  case,  do  not  rub  the 
eye.  Eubbing  will  only  increase  the  difficulty.  In- 
stead of  rubbing,  if  blowing  the  nose  does  not  help, 
use  an  eye-cup.  This  is  a  little  cup,  made  of  glass 
in  such  a  shape  that  it  fits  tightly  over  the  eye. 
Fill  the  cup  with  clean  water,  then  open  and  shut 
the  eyelids,  while  holding  the  cup  closely  against 


THE  WONDERFUL  EYE  127 

the  eye.    It  is  a  good  thing  to  have  an  eye-cup 
ready  for  emergencies  in  every  home. 

20.  Do  not  face  a  strong  light  when  reading  or 
studying.  Try  to  place  yourself,  especially  when 
writing,  so  that  the  light  comes  from  your  left 
side,  for  then  the  shadows  from  the  hand  will  not 
fall  on  your  work.  Do  not  insist  on  sewing  or 
reading  in  a  dark  room.  Use  daylight  for  sewing 
with  any  black  material.  When  there  is  a  choice, 
do  not  choose  a  book  which  is  printed  on  shiny, 
glazed  paper.  Eemember  that  your  eyes  are  one 
of  your  most  precious  possessions.  By  means  of 
them  you  have  acquired  knowledge  of  most  of  the 
things  that  make  life  worth  living  for  you.  Or- 
dinary prudence  then  will  suggest  that  you  make 
use  of  the  hints  contained  in  this  chapter  in  order 
to  take  care  of  them.  Never  insult  the  Giver  of 
them  by  using  them  for  anything  your  conscience 
warns  you  to  avoid. 

QUESTIONS 

1.  How  many  persons   of  your  acquaintance  wear  glasses? 
Just  why  do  they  wear  them? 

2.  Do  you   own   any  camera  of  your  own,  which  was  not 

bought? 

3.  What  amount  of  care  does  the  usual  camera  require? 
Is  it  expensive? 

4.  Compare  the  taking  of  pictures  by  means  of  a  kodak  with 

what  is  required  in  order  to  see. 


128  HEALTH   AND   HAPPINESS 

5.  Describe  what  your  impressions  would  be,  if  blindfolded. 

6.  If  suddenly  made  blind,  what  do  you  suppose  would  be 

the  state  of  your  feelings'? 

7.  Can  you  tell  some  of  the  things  your  eyes  have  helped  you 

to  know,  and  which  you  could  not  know  in  any  other 
way? 

8.  How  are  the  repairs  needed  in  the  eye  cared  for? 

9.  How  may  eyes  be   injured?     How  may  you  rest  them? 

10.  How  can  you  tell  when  glasses  are  needed?     Why  is  it 

wise  to   consult  an  oculist  as  soon  as   eye  difficulty  is 
noticed  ? 

11.  What  defects  may  be  remedied  by  wearing  glasses? 

12.  What  is  meant  by  the  retina?     What  is  the  difference  be- 

tween   short-sightedness    and    its    opposite?      What    is' 
astigmatism  ? 

13.  Can  you  explain  why  the  image  is  upside  down  on  the 

retina?     How  long  a  time  does  the  eye  picture  require 
for  its  development? 

14.  What  happens  when  we  see  something? 

15.  Name  some  remarkable  facts  about  sight. 

16.  Of  what  use  is  the  lens? 

17.  What  is  meant  by  a  cataract?     How  is  it  corrected? 

18.  What  is  the  iris?  the  pupil?  the  orbit?     Where  do  tears 

come  from?     How  do  they  leave  the  eyes?     Of  what 
use  are  they? 

19.  How  many  muscles  move  the  eye?     Explain  a  squint.     Of 

what  practical  use  is  an  eye-cup? 

20.  Give  some  rules  for  preserving  good  sight. 

In  order  not  to  abuse  the  eyes,  what  is  the  most  important 
thing  to  avoid? 


Chapter  XIII 
THE  MARVELLOUS  EAR 

1.  If  there  is  anything  in  the  world  more  won- 
derful than  the  eye,  it  is  the  ear.  As  a  piece  of 
mechanism,  it  cannot  be  duplicated  by  anything 
man-made.  In  olden  cruel  times,  men  were  pun- 
ished by  having  one  of  their  ears,  or  in  extreme 
cases  both  of  them,  cut  off.  It  was  considered  that 
the  amputation  produced  a  great  and  ludicrous 
disfigurement.  Nowadays,  it  would  not  be  thought 
such  a  heavy  penalty,  as  the  modern  young  woman 
has  for  some  time  been  trying  to  conceal  all  evi- 
dence of  her  ears  by  hiding  them  under  ugly 
bunches  of  hair. 

2.  The  ear  has  three  principal  parts :  according 
to  position,  they  are  called  the  outer,  the  middle 
and  the  inner  ear.  The  outer  ear  is  again  divided 
into  two  parts,  the  auditory  canal  and  the  auricle. 
This  latter  is  the  part  usually  called  the  ear,  but 
actually  it  is  the  least  important  part.  No  matter 
how  huge  the  disfiguring  bobs  of  hair  which  con- 
ceal it,  and  even  if  it  is  really  amputated,  hearing 

129 


ISO  HEALTH  AND  HAPPINESS 

is  not  destroyed,  though  it  may  be  impaired.  But 
if  anything  happens  to  any  other  portion,  hearing 
is  at  once  affected. 

3.  Sometimes  insects  find  their  way  into  the 
auditory  canal.  The  best  and  simplest  manner  to 
dislodge  them  is  to  pour  into  the  canal  a  teaspoon- 
ful  of  warm  water,  which  will  drown  them,  when 
they  will  float  to  the  surface.     Never  poke  any- 


Students  of  the  Ateneo,  Manila,  P.  I. 

thing  into  the  auditory  canal.  It  is  an  old  adage, 
which  is  worth  observing,  that  nothing  smaller 
than  the  point  of  the  elbow  should  be  put  into  the 
ear.  Both  ears  should  be  washed  thoroughly  dur- 
ing the  morning  and  evening  ablutions  in  order 
to  remove  the  dirt  and  wax,  then  dried  with  a 
corner  of  the  towel.  But  neither  pin  nor  tooth- 
pick should  ever  be  inserted,  as  these  have  often 
caused  much  trouble  by  tearing  the  delicate  skin 


THE  MARVELLOUS  EAR  131 

within  the  ear,  thus  opening  the  path  to  an  infec- 
tion, or  by  piercing  the  eardrum,  thus  incurring 
the  danger  of  resulting  deafness. 

4.  The  eardrum  is  at  the  inner  end  of  the  audi- 
tory canal.  The  latter  is  about  an  inch  long,  some- 
what curved.  The  drum  is  a  thin,  tense  membrane, 
placed  between  the  outer  and  the  middle  ear.  By 
vibrating,  it  sets  in  motion  the  three  little  bones 
of  the  middle  ear  which,  in  turn,  transmit  the 
vibrations  to  the  inner  ear,  where  the  ends  of  the 
auditory  nerves  are.  The  names  of  the  three  little 
bones  are  the  hammer,  the  anvil  and  the  stirrup, 
on  account  of  their  resemblance  to  these  articles. 

5.  When  the  eardrum  is  damaged,  the  injury 
usually  affects  the  middle  ear  also ;  or,  at  least,  an 
entrance  is  forced,  through  which  germs  may  in- 
trude and  set  up  an  infection.  This  is  what  occurs 
in  many  cases  of  so-called  abscess  of  the  ear.  The 
drum  may  be  ruptured  by  violent  coughing,  as  in 
whooping  cough,  and  also  by  a  blow  on  the  head. 
Parents  given  to  anger  should  remember  this  fact, 
and  refrain  from  such  a  form  of  expressing  their 
wrath.  It  may  be  injured  during  any  of  the  chil- 
dren's diseases,  such  as  measles  or  scarlet  fever. 

6.  The  middle  ear  is  connected  with  the  throat 
by  a  small  canal,  called  the  Eustachian  tube.  This 
allows  air  to  enter,  thus  keeping  the  pressure  the 


132  HEALTH   AND   HAPPINESS 

same  on  both  sides  of  the  eardrum.  It  also  drains 
off  the  moisture  from  the  lining  membrane  of  the 
middle  ear.  When  your  head  feels  ^'stuffy,''  it 
is  because  this  tube  has  become  clogged.  Yawning 
and  swallowing,  and  gargling  especially,  tend  to 
open  up  this  tube  and  relieve  the  discomfort.  The 
most  common  cause  of  earache  is  the  inability  of 
this  moisture  to  escape  from  the  middle  ear. 
Sometimes  it  becomes  necessary  for  the  doctor  to 
make  a  tiny  puncture  in  the  eardrum,  through 
which  the  gathering  moisture  may  find  an  escape 
into  the  auditory  canal.  When  the  gathering  has 
drained  off,  the  tiny  hole  heals  with  scar  tissue, 
just  like  a  wound  anywhere  in  the  skin. 

7.  Do  not  put  oil  or  laudanum  or  anything  else 
into  the  ear,  except  on  the  advice  of  your  physi- 
cian. Do  not  try  any  patent  medicines.  Some- 
times a  remedy  is  recommended  by  a  friend,  who 
credits  it  with  a  cure,  simply  because  it  happened 
to  be  the  last  thing  tried.  The  ear  is  too  impor- 
tant to  trifle  with.  ^'Safety  first"  will  save  you 
from  unwise  experiments. 

8.  Some  children  are  classed  as  mental  de- 
fectives, Avhen  the  real  reason  why  they  are  behind 
their  classmates  is  because  they  are  deprived,  by 
unnoticed  deafness,  of  one  of  the  most  helpful 
sources  of  information.    Their  ears  are  at  fault, 


THE  MARVELLOUS  EAR  133 

not  their  minds.  Sometimes  the  cause  is  nothing 
more  serions  than  adenoids,  which  choke  the 
throat  end  of  the  Eustachian  tubes.  When  the 
adenoids  are  removed,  the  deafness  disappears 
and  the  mental  condition  at  once  improves.  There 
is  usually  no  cure  for  complete  loss  of  hearing,  as 
this  implies  interior  trouble  in  the  ear,  which  can- 
not be  reached  except  by  such  a  destructive  opera- 
tion that  ^Hhe  cure  would  be  worse  than  the  dis- 
ease." 

9.  The  inner  ear  is  placed  well  inside  the  head, 
and  consists  of  two  parts:  the  cochlea,  so  called 
because  it  is  like  a  snail's  shell;  the  other  part  is 
the  labyrinth,  which  has  small  bony  spaces  and 
tubes,  placed  in  different  planes.  In  these  tubes  is 
a  fluid,  one  use  of  which  is  to  help  in  preserving 
our  balance.  The  inside  of  the  body  labyrinth  is 
lined  with  a  membrane,  in  which  lie  the  cells  which 
are  connected  to  the  brain  by  the  fibres  of  the 
auditory  nerve. 

10.  This  is  what  happens  when  we  hear  any 
sound.  You  have  all  seen  a  violin  string  vibrate 
when  the  bow  was  drawn  across  it  to  produce  a 
thrilling  note.  The  vibrations  of  the  string  set  up 
waves  in  the  air,  and  these  strike  against  the  ear- 
drum. The  variety  of  vibrations  for  the  human 
ear  range  in  number  from  sixteen  to  forty  thou- 


134  HEALTH   AND   HAPPINESS 

sand  per  second.  The  more  vibrations,  the  higher 
the  note;  the  fewer  the  vibrations,  the  lower  the 
note.  If  the  vibrations  are  large,  the  note  is  loud ; 
if  they  are  small,  the  note  is  soft. 

11.  Anything  that  makes  a  sound  in  our  ears 
makes  it  in  this  way;  that  is,  by  vibrating,  thus 
setting  up  air  currents.  It  is  somewhat  the  same 
as  when  you  toss  a  pebble  into  the  still  waters  of 


'^^l  1  m^  f  _ 

-  '^^M 

■J^^^s^^^ 

-:.^'1M 

B^^' '  ' 

^--,:t:' ->-,., 

West  Point  Cadets. 

a  pond.  From  the  spot  where  the  pebble  enters, 
ripples  start  off  across  the  smooth  surface,  widen- 
ing and  enlarging  until  they  strike  the  shore. 
This  is  the  explanation  of  a  bell.  It  is  true  of  all 
musical  instruments.  It  is  the  secret  of  the  wire- 
less telegraph  and  telephone.  But  all  human  in- 
ventions vibrate  clearly  to  one  sound  only  at  a  time. 
No  device  has  ever  been  made  which  will  record  a 
single  tone  oiit  of  a  complex  sound.     The  tiny 


THE  MARVELLOUS  EAR  135 

drumhead  at  the  inner  end  of  the  auditory  canal, 
however,  vibrates  in  such  a  magical  manner  that 
it  conveys  many  things,  near  and  far,  to  our  hear- 
ing at  the  same  time.  We  are  able  to  recognize 
our  own  breathing,  the  voice  of  one  reading  in  the 
next  room,  a  piano  being  played  in  the  room  be- 
yond, a  person  walking  on  the  floor  above,  a  train 
rumbling  by  the  station  at  the  foot  of  the  hill,  a 
motor  horn  sounding  warning  in  the  street  outside, 
all  in  the  same  moment ;  and  we  appreciate  imme- 
diately just  what  each  sound  signifies.  How  do  we 
do  this! 

12.  The  delicate  vibrating  drumhead  sets  in 
motion  the  three  little  bones  of  the  middle  ear. 
These  at  once  pass  along  the  vibrations  to  the 
fluid  of  the  inner  ear,  like  the  ripples  in  the  pond, 
and  these  ripples  strike  against  the  fine  endings  of 
the  nerves  which  lie  among  the  cells  of  the  mem- 
branous labyrinth.  Passing  along  the  nerve  fibres, 
the  stimulus  reaches  the  brain  cells,  where,  if  these 
are  in  a  normal  state,  it  is  transformed  for  us  into 
a  sensation  of  sound. 

13.  Like  all  our  sensations,  hearing  is  made  up 
of  the  sense  organ,  the  nerves  which  carry  the  out- 
side stimulus  to  the  brain  and  the  soul,  which  fur- 
nishes the  vital  energy  without  which  the  first  two 
would  be  entirely  useless.     The  sweetest  music 


136  HEALTH   AND  HAPPINESS 

might  resound  in  the  room  where  a  corpse  lies, 
but  not  a  note  would  be  heard  in  the  absence  of  the 
soul,  even  though  the  ear,  the  nerves  and  the  brain 
cells  were  all  physically  perfect.  Perhaps  you 
may  ask:  ^'But  how  does  the  soul  bridge  the  gap 
from  the  changes  in  our  bodily  organs  to  the  vari- 
ous sensations  which  we  feel  I' '  That  is  a  mys- 
tery, which,  if  we  could  unravel  it,  would  enable  us 
to  tell  the  secret  of  life  which  God  has  not  yet  re- 
vealed to  man. 

QUESTIONS 

1.  What  is  to  be  said  of  the  ear  as  a  mechanical  device? 
What  impression  of  its  appearance  is  evident  from  current 

fashion  ? 

2.  How  many  parts  has  the  ear?    Which  part  is  most  prom- 

inent and  the  least  important?     Which  is  most  often 
affected  by  changes  in  the  weatljer? 

3.  Is  it  prudent  to  poke  anything  into  the  ear?    Why? 
What  daily  care  should  the  ear  receive? 

4.  What  is  the  auditory  canal?     In  what  structure  does  it 

end?    How  does  this  act?    What  are  the  bones  of  the 
middle  ear? 

5.  What  is  meant  by  an  abscess  of  the  ear?    How  may  the 

eardrum  be  injured? 

6.  What  connects  the  ear  with  the  throat?     Of  what  use  is 

this?     What  occurs  when  this  is  closed?     How  is  the 
condition  relieved? 

7.  Why  is  it  unwise  to  put  things  in  the  ear?     What  sort  of 

things  should  the  ear  not  be  forced  to  hear? 

8.  What  is  the  explanation  of  the  condition  of  some  children 

who  are  mentally  deficient? 


THE   MARVELLOUS  EAR  137 

9.  How  many  parts  has  the  inner  ear?  What  important 
structures  are  in  the  labyrinth?  What  gives  the  cochlea 
its  name? 

11.  What  is  the  difference  between  the  eardrum  and  anything 

else  which  vibrates? 

12.  How  is  the  motion  of  the  air  currents  passed  along  to  the 

brain? 

13.  What  is  the  difference  between  the  senses  and  sensation? 


Chapter  XIV 
THE  AIR  WE  BREATHE 

1.  The  air  we  breathe  is  our  most  important 
concern.  We  exist  in  the  air,  and  cannot  live  with- 
out it.  If  we  were  deprived  of  air,  we  should  die, 
like  people  who  choke  to  death  when  air  is  shut  out 
from  their  lungs.  Animals  and  plants  need  air 
too,  and  the  marvellous  way  God  has  disposed  His 
creatures  is  shown  by  the  striking  fact  that  what 
we  cast  off  as  harmful  is  just  what  the  plants  need 
to  keep  them  in  health. 

2.  We  cannot  see  the  air,  but  we  can  see  what 
it  does,  when  we  stand  on  the  seashore  on  a  fine 
summer  day,  and  watch  a  trim  sailboat  scudding 
along  before  a  stiff  breeze.  We  can  feel  it  as  it 
blows  inland  upon  our  eager  faces,  and  even  taste 
the  salty  brine  it  carries  in  from  the  ocean,  as  well 
as  smell  the  sweet  odors  with  which  it  becomes 
laden  after  recrossing  the  flower-strewn  meadow. 

3.  Although  it  is  invisible,  it  is  really  not  a 
spiritual  substance,  such  as  an  angel  or  the  human 
soul,  which  cannot  be  seen  by  bodily  eyes.    It  is  a 

138 


THE  AIR  WE  BREATHE  139 

material  substance,  like  tlie  matter  of  which  the 
earth  or  our  bodies  is  composed,  but  in  a  gaseous 
state.  There  are  a  number  of  gases  in  the  air ;  the 
important  ones  for  us  are  three :  oxygen,  nitrogen 
and  carbon  dioxide. 

4.  Oxygen  is  the  life-giving  element;  it  consti- 
tutes about  one-fifth  of  the  atmosphere.  It  is 
taken  into  the  body  when  we  inhale,  carbon  dioxide 
is  given  off  when  we  exhale.  Plants  act  in  just  the 
opposite  way;  they  retain  the  carbon  dioxide  and 
expel  the  oxygen. 

5.  Carbon  dioxide  is  the  chemical  result  of  the 
various  processes  which  go  on  in  the  body,  such  as 
digestion,  assimilation,  combustion,  breathing, 
fermentation.  Fires  add  to  the  amount,  as  well  as 
all  decaying  animal  and  vegetable  matters.  There 
is  a  greater  amount  in  the  city  than  in  the  country, 
more  also  in  the  house  than  outdoors;  burning 
coal  gives  off  large  amounts.  The  soil  also  pro- 
duces a  great  deal,  but  there  are  usually  present 
in  the  atmosphere,  nevertheless,  only  about  three 
parts  in  every  ten  thousand  parts  of  air.  When 
ten  parts  to  ten  thousand  are  present,  an  uncom- 
fortable feeling  results,  and  health  is  injured  if 
this  proportion  is  continued.  Headache,  dizzi- 
ness, etc.,  come  on  when  the  amount  becomes  as 
large  as  fifteen  parts  to  ten  thousand. 


140  HEALTH   AND   HAPPINESS 

6.  Carbon  dioxide  is  not,  however,  itself  a 
poison;  but  is  harmful  because  it  deprives  the 
body  of  the  oxygen  needed.  Oxygen  is  the  most 
wonderful  of  all  elements.  Water  is  largely  made 
up  of  it,  at  least  three-quarters  of  the  material 
of  which  our  bodies  are  formed  is  composed  of 
it,  and  it  is  more  than  half  the  weight  of  many 
other  substances.  We  could  live  for  some  time 
without  food,  and  all  our  lives  could  be  spent 
without  many  of  the  other  things  for  which  large 
sums  of  money  are  spent  by  foolish  people  who 
forget  that  money  is  a  gift  of  God,  to  be  used  for 
His  glory,  not  for  their  folly  and  luxury.  But  the 
most  precious  thing  of  all,  oxygen,  is  to  be  had 
by  all  without  any  necessity  of  buying  it  or  work- 
ing for  it,  for  the  loving  Creator  would  not  have 
any  one  of  His  creatures  deprived  of  it,  not  the 
poorest  nor  even  the  most  wicked. 

7.  Nitrogen  gas  constitutes  almost  seventy- 
nine  parts,  or  four-fifths  of  the  air,  but  is  not 
used  either  by  animals  or  man.  Its  purpose  is  to 
dilute  the  oxygen,  so  that  we  may  breathe  this  in 
the  proper  strength.  If  the  proportion  of  oxygen 
were  too  high,  it  would  be  almost  impossible  to 
put  out  a  fire  when  once  it  got  started,  and  there 
would  be  too  much  combustion  occurring  within 
our  bodies. 


THE   AIR  WE   BREATHE  141 

8.  Some  water  is  always  present  in  the  air,  the 
amount  constantly  varying,  as  it  is  being  formed 
by  evaporation  from  the  lungs  and  the  skin  of 
man,  as  well  as  from  the  ocean  and  rivers,  from 
the  leaves  of  trees  and  plants,  etc.  The  warmer 
the  air,  the  greater  is  the  amount  contained  in  it. 
If  the  heat  is  increased,  the  percentage  of  water 
the  air  can  hold  is  also  increased.  The  air  nearest 
the  earth  is  warmest;  the  temperature  falls  one 
degree  each  three  hundred  feet  above  the  surface. 

9.  If  the  air  holds  as  much  moisture  as  it  can  at 
a  certain  degree  of  temperature,  it  is  said  to  be 
saturated,  and  evaporation  cannot  occur.  In  such 
an  atmosphere  moisture  from  plants  is  deposited 
as  dew  on  their  surface,  from  man  and  animals 
as  per&piration.  Air  saturated  with  vapor  is  very 
uncomfortable,  whether  it  be  hot  or  cold.  A 
humid  day  is  one  on  which  the  perspiration  can- 
not pass  off  into  the  air,  resulting  in  a  disagree- 
able, sticky  feeling.  Most  deaths  from  lung  dis- 
eases occur  on  a  moist  day,  on  account  of  the  lack 
of  evaporation  from  the  lungs,  which  increases, 
consequently,  the  difficulty  in  breathing. 

10.  Dust  is  always  in  the  air,  a  certain  amount 
is  very  necessary;  otherwise  we  should  not  have 
any  rain.  The  clouds  are  simply  collections  of 
dust  particles  to  which  moisture  is  clinging.    They 


142  HEALTH   AND   HAPPINESS 

are  able  to  hold  only  a  certain  amomit  at  a  cer- 
tain temperature;  when  the  temperature  changes 
the  moisture  condenses,  and  the  rain  falls  to  the 
earth.  When  the  air  is  cold  enough  we  have  a 
snowstorm.  The  dust  is  made  up  of  organic  mat- 
ters from  animals  and  vegetables,  threads  of  mil- 
dew, bits  of  cork,  starch  granules,  fibres  of  silk, 
cotton,  linen,  wool,  feathers,  etc. 

11.  ''Bad  odors''  used  to  be  considered  dan- 
gerous to  health,  but  they,  are  more  disagreeable 
than  harmful.  Sewer  gas  may  affect  the  digestive 
tract  to  some  extent,  and  cause  nausea.  Odors 
in  the  living  room  come  from  decaying  teeth, 
bad  breath,  decomposing  matters  on  skin  or 
clothes,  gas  from  the  stomach,  unclean  mouths, 
sweat  glands,  nasal  troubles.  Therefore,  it 
is  necessary  to  exercise  care  in  the  matter  of 
cleanliness,  for  we  are  social  beings,  not  hermits, 
and  must  have  regard  for  the  comfort  of  others. 

12.  Odors  are  perceived  much  more  readily 
when  the  air  is  moist  than  when  it  is  dry.  The 
membrane  lining  of  the  nose,  in  which  lie  the 
nerves  of  smell,  must  be  wet  in  order  to  appreciate 
any  odor.  The  nerves  soon  tire  in  any  case,  and 
after  a  while  the  odors  are  not  noticed  by  those  in 
the  room,  while  newcomers  are  at  once  made 
aware  of  them. 


THE  AIR  WE  BREATHE 


143 


Cross-section  Through  the  Head  and  Neck. 


144  HEALTH   AND   HAPPINESS 

13.  An  unpleasant  odor  causes  us  to  breathe 
less  deeply,  whereas  a  pleasant  one  has  the  oppo- 
site effect,  just  as  pleasant  sights  and  pleasant 
sounds  help  us  physically  as  well  as  mentally.  In 
the  plan  of  God  for  His  creatures,  there  would 
have  been  nothing  to  hurt  or  harm  us,  all  things 
would  have /^worked  together  unto  good."  But 
sin  came  and  marred  God's  scheme,  bringing  with 
it  a  whole  train  of  disagreeable  and  unpleasant 
things.    Indeed  ^^the  wages  of  sin  is  death." 

14.  Ordinary  ventilation  does  not  remove 
vapors  which  have  been  absorbed  by  surfaces  of 
surrounding  objects.  Hence  the  great  need  of 
opening  the  windows  and  doors  frequently  in 
order  to  insure  a  wholesome  stream  of  fresh  air. 
Most  people  have  a  very  erroneous  notion  about 
the  dangers  of  draughts.  They  are  really  the 
best  thing  for  driving  out  bad  odors,  as  well  as 
something  much  more  dangerous ;  namely,  disease 
germs,  with  which  the  air  is  often  laden. 

15.  Most  diseases  are  brought  about  by  minute 
organisms  called  germs,  and  they  begin  their  ca- 
reer of  trouble  as  soon  as  they  enter  the  body. 
A  draught  will  effectively  blow  such  mischief- 
makers  out  of  the  room.  It  is  not,  however,  wise 
to  sit  or  sleep  in  a  draught  when  one  is  perspiring, 
as  the  rush  of  air  causes  the  sweat  to  evaporate 


THE  AIR  WE   BREATHE  145 

too  rapidly,  thus  chilling  the  body  by  lowering  the 
temperature. 

16.  Germs  are  breathed  out  by  sick  people.  It 
is  not  well,  therefore,  to  come  very  close  to  them. 
Tuberculosis,  or  as  it  is  commonly  called,  con- 
sumption, is  a  very  infectious  disease,  which 
means  that  it  is  contracted  from  some  one  who 
already  has  it.  Hence,  the  best  manner  of  avoid- 
ing it  is  to  breathe  fresh  air ;  that  is  also  the  best 
way  to  cure  the  disease.  In  this  illness  some  of 
the  lung  tissue  is  damaged,  and  cannot,  therefore, 
do  the  work  of  supplying  the  blood  with  the 
proper  amount  of  oxygen.  The  purer  the  air  that 
is  breathed  by  the  rest  of  the  lungs,  therefore,  the 
larger  is  the  amount  of  oxygen  that  will  be  re- 
ceived into  the  tissues. 

17.  It  is  good,  then,  to  get  all  the  fresh  air  pos- 
sible out  of  doors;  but  is  also  necessary  to  have 
fresh  air  indoors.  When  the  Indians  were  given 
houses  by  the  United  States  Government,  a  great 
many  of  them  developed  tuberculosis,  because 
they  were  deprived  of  the  fresh  air  to  which  they 
had  been  accustomed.  The  only  way  to  help  them 
was  to  let  them  live  their  own  wild  life.  Remem- 
ber also  that  this  rule  of  ventilation  is  just  as 
necessary  for  our  sleeping,  as  well  as  our  waking 
hours. 


146  HEALTH   AND   HAPPINESS 

18.  In  some  tenement  houses  there  are  fre- 
quently several  rooms  without  any  windows.  There 
should  be  a  penalty  for  such  a  condition  fixed  by 
law,  serious  enough  to  deter  any  landlord  who 
would  force  his  tenants  to  dwell  in  such  a  place. 
Light  and  cleanliness  usually  accompany  air, 
while  misery  and  disease  lurk  where  fresh  air  is 
not  to  be  found.  If  you  put  a  flower  in  a  vase, 
but  do  not  change  the  water,  it  will  die;  if  you 
put  a  fish  in  a  bowl,  but  do  not  change  the  water, 
it  will  die.  If  you  make  people  live  in  surround- 
ings where  the  air  is  not  changed,  they  will  die 
also.  There  is  a  famous  case  in  history,  called 
the  ''Black  Hole  of  Calcutta,"  where  a  hundred 
and  forty-six  men  w^ere  in  a  small  hut  which  con- 
tained only  six  thousand  cubic  feet  of  air,  with 
the  result  that  all  but  twenty-three  of  them  were 
dead  when  relief  came.  The  same  law  holds  true 
of  animals.  Especial  care  is  given  to  provide 
them  with  plenty  of  fresh  air  in  all  circuses  and 
zoological  parks;  it  has  been  found  that  they  do 
not  thrive  in  captivity  otherwise. 

19.  When  houses  used  to  be  heated  with  fire- 
places, there  was  always  a  plenteous  supply  of 
fresh  air,  since  the  overheated  air  went  rushing 
up  the  chimney,  while  fresh  air  was  always  com- 
ing into  the  room  to  take  its  place  through  every 


THE  AIR  WE  BREATHE  147 

crack.    But  in  our  modern  steam-lieated  houses, 
the  same  stale  air  is  being  constantly  raised  to 
a  higher  heat ;  there  is  no  chance  for  it  to  escape, 
nor  is  any  loophole  left  for  fresh  air  to  enter. 
20.  It  is  not  necessary,  however,  to  have  fresh 


.% 

.':* 

w. 

m 

-**?*',. 

:. 

,  -''  ?  %  ''^H^B  ^H 

Wide  World  Fhotc^ 

Racing  Requires  Proper  Breathing. 

cold  air.  In  fact,  very  cold  air  is  harmful,  unless 
one  is  sufficiently  clothed.  Fresh  warm  air  is 
what  is  best  in  the  house,  as  the  still,  chilly  air 
of  indoors  predisposes  to  colds  and  coughs.  Cold, 
damp  air  is  injurious,  especially  in  infancy  and 
old  age,  where  the  vital  forces  are  at  a  low  ebb. 
The  cold  dampness  throws  extra  work  on  the  heat 


148  HEALTH   AND   HAPPINESS 

mechanism  of  the  body  to  preserve  the  proper 
temperature,  consequently  the  strain  falls  on  the 
circulation.  On  a  cold,  misty  day  a  person  will 
shiver  and  his  face  turn  blue,  especially  when  out 
in  the  wind.  The  reason  is  that  the  moisture  in- 
terferes with  the  exchange  of  gases  in  the  lungs, 
so  that  the  breathing  becomes  shallow. 

21.  In  warm  moist  air,  both  physical  and  mental 
activity  are  reduced,  because  an  undue  supply  of 
blood  is  brought  to  the  surface  of  the  body,  re- 
sulting in  a  general  feeling  of  depression.  People 
are  overcome  by  the  heat  when  the  temperature 
of  the  air  is  above  88  degrees,  and  the  air  then  be- 
comes saturated.  In  this  condition  the  body  tem- 
perature rises  rapidly,  and  unless  precautions  are 
immediately  taken,  heat  stroke  will  result.  While 
awaiting  the  doctor,  you  may  help  the  patient  by 
applying  cold  water  to  the  body,  after  removing 
the  clothing,  and  by  fanning  the  face.  Once  I  saw 
a  poor  man  who  had  been  sunstruck,  being  treated 
by  misguided  relatives.  They  had  put  his  feet 
into  a  tub  of  boiling  water  and  covered  him  all 
over  with  thick  blankets.  They  said  that  the  idea 
was  to  draw  off  the  heat  from  his  body,  but  they 
were  only  helping  to  raise  his  temperature.  They 
would  have  killed  the  victim  of  their  ignorance, 
if  the  doctor  had  not  most  opportunely  arrived 


THE  AIR  WE   BREATHE  149 

on  the  scene  and  reversed  the  whole  treatment, 
afterwards  berating  them  for  their  stupidity. 

22.  A  cool,  dry  air  in  motion  is  the  most  brac- 
ing. It  causes  all  the  bodily  functions  to  become 
more  active,  the  breathing  deeper  and  more  fre- 
quent, the  circulation  to  be  increased  and  the  di- 
gestion stimulated.  Deodorants  are  things  which 
remove  bad  odors.  Disinfectants  are  things 
which  kill  germs.  The  best  deodorants  and  the 
best  disinfectants  are  cleanliness,  ventilation  and 
sunlight,  which  are  at  the  disposal  of  every  one. 

23.  God  has  placed  the  sun  in  the  universe  in 
such  a  position  that  it  furnishes  us  not  only  the 
proper  heat  but  also  light  and  energy.  If  it  were 
nearer,  we  should  be  burned  from  its  excessive 
rays ;  if  it  were  further  away,  we  should  be  frozen. 
If  it  gave  more  light,  we  should  be  blinded;  if  it 
furnished  greater  energy,  we  should  be  killed,  in 
the  same  way  that  germs  are  slain  now.  Who 
but  an  all-wise  Creator  could  have  arranged  this 
planet  in  such  a  manner  that  everything  tends  to 
our  benefit!  What  great  love  for  His  creatures 
is  shown  by  such  a  magnificent  arrangement  and 
care  for  each  detail  that  concerns  our  well-being. 
Even  the  disagreeable  things  that  sin  has  brought 
in  its  foul  company  may,  if  used  aright,  be  profit- 
able unto  us  in  God's  wondrous  mercy,  through 


150  HEALTH   AND   HAPPINESS 

the  divine  merits  of  His  Son,  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ.  '^To  those  who  love  God,  all  things  work 
together  unto  good.'' 

QUESTIONS 

1.  Of  how  great  imiDortance  is  air?     How  do  animals  and 

man  differ  from  plants  in  regard  to  it? 

2.  How  many  senses  detect  the  presence  of  air? 

3.  Is  air  spiritual?     What  gases  does  it  contain? 

4.  What  percentage  of  the  air  is  oxygen? 

5.  What  is  carbon  dioxide?     Where  is  it  found  in  greater 

amount  ? 

6.  How  is  carbon  dioxide  harmful?     What  have  you  to  say 

of  oxygen?     Where  is  it  obtained? 

7.  Of  what  use  is  the  nitrogen  in  the  air? 

8.  Where  does  the  water  in  the  air  come  from? 

9.  Explain  what  is  meant  by  saturation  of  the  air.    Why  do 

deaths  from  lung  diseases  usually  occur  on  a  damp  day? 

10.  Is  dust  usually  found  in  the  air?    Why?    What  are  clouds? 

Of  what  is  the  dust  composed? 

11.  Are  bad  odors  dangerous? 

12.  Why  are   odors  perceived  more  readily  in  moist   atmos- 

phere ? 

13.  What  is  the  effect  of  a  bad  odor?     Of  a  good  odor? 

14.  What  do  you  know  about  "draughts"? 

15.  How  are  most  diseases  caused?     How  do  these  act? 

16.  What  happens  in  cases  of  tuberculosis? 

17.  Is  fresh  air  needed  indoors?     When  sleeping? 

18.  Are  windows  necessary?     Why? 

19.  What  are  the  defects  of  steam  heat? 

20.  Why  does  a  person  shiver  on  a  cold,  misty  day? 

21.  What  happens  in  warm,  moist  air?    Why? 

22.  Which  air  is  most  bracing?     What  are  the  best  disinfect- 

ants and  deodorants? 

23.  How  is  the  sun  placed  for  our  comfort? 


Chapter  XV 
THE   PATH   OF  THE  AIR 

1.  Our  food  meclianism  begins  at  the  mouth. 
The  apparatus  of  the  body  for  utilizing  the  air, 
however,  starts,  not  at  the  mouth,  but  at  the  nose. 
This  particular  organ  was  specially  constructed 
by  that  infinite  Designer,  whose  wisdom  you  must 
by  this  time  have  recognized.  He  would  not  have 
made  it,  if  he  had  considered  the  same  opening 
sufficient  for  both  food  and  air.  There  are  chil- 
dren who  are  called  ''mouth-breathers,''  on  ac- 
count of  their  faulty  habits  of  breathing;  their 
faces  have  a  strange,  characteristic  expression. 
This  condition  is  usually  due  to  an  overgrowth  of 
tissue  behind  the  nose,  which  is  known  as  ade- 
noids, and  requires  surgical  interference.  The  op- 
eration is  not  serious,  however,  and  no  one  should 
be  deterred  from  having  it  performed,  or  post- 
pone it  any  longer  than  is  necessary. 

2.  The  nostrils  are  lined  with  little  fine  hairs 
for  the  purpose  of  catching  dust  before  it  enters 
the  lungs.     You  remember  that  the  tube  which 

151 


152  HEALTH   AND   HAPPINESS 

conveys  food  from  the  back  of  the  mouth  to  the 
stomach  is  called  the  esophagus.  There  is  an- 
other tube  to  bring  the  air  from  the  throat  to  the 
lungs,  called  the  trachea,  or  windpipe.  It  is 
placed  in  front  of  the  esophagus,  so  that  the  food 
passes  over  it  on  its  journey  downwards.  The 
top  is  covered  with  a  valve,  called  the  epiglottis, 
which  opens  to  receive  air,  and  closes  as  if  it  had 
intelligence,  whenever  food  is  swallowed.  It  is 
dangerous,  as  well  as  impolite,  to  try  to  talk  and 
eat  at  the  same  time,  because  if  one  does,  the 
valve  may  not  be  able  to  shut.  The  food  will  then 
enter  the  wrong  passage  and  cause  choking. 
Coughing  is  nature's  way  of  freeing  the  air  pas- 
sages of  something  which  does  not  belong  there, 
or  is  irritating  to  the  membrane. 

3.  The  upper  portion  of  the  windpipe  is  the 
larynx,  where  the  voice-box  is  situated.  It  is 
rather  wider  than  the  rest  of  the  trachea,  and 
projects  into  the  throat,  thus  making  the  ^'Adam's 
apple. '^  Across  it  are  stretched  the  vocal  cords, 
which  are  bands  of  strong  membrane  running 
along  each  side.  In  ordinary  breathing  no  sound 
is  produced ;  but  when  Ave  wish  to  speak  the  throat 
muscles  tighten  and  loosen  these  cords;  as  air  is 
expelled  from  the  lungs,  it  makes  the  cords  vibrate 
when   passing  by.      The    cheeks,   the    teeth,    the 


THE  PATH  OF  THE  AIR  153 

tongue,  the  lips,  the  nose,  the  throat,  the  larynx, 
the  trachea  and  the  lungs  all  have  their  part  to 
play  in  producing  sound,  and  a  change  in  any  one 
of  them  will  bring  about  a  corresponding  alter- 
ation in  the  tones;  but  while  the  deficiency  of 
any  of  the  others  may  be  partially  overcome,  de- 
fects in  the  vocal  cords  cause  serious  derange- 
ment in  speaking.  It  would  be  like  trying  to  play 
a  violin  with  broken  strings,  though  everything 
else  was  perfect.  Our  voices  were  given  to  speak 
and  sing  the  praises  of  God.  They  should  never 
be  used  to  tell  untruths,  or  to  use  improper  lan- 
guage, or  to  abuse  our  neighbor.  ^'Thou  shalt 
love  thy  neighbor  as  thyself,''  Our  Divine  Lord 
told  us. 

4.  When  goods  are  manufactured  in  a  factory, 
no  matter  how  big  the  factory  may  be,  they  are  of 
the  same  identical  pattern,  one  is  just  like  the 
rest.  Theologians  tell  us  that  the  angels  ditfer 
from  each  other;  though  there  are  countless  mil- 
lions of  them,  each  one  is  in  a  class  by  himself. 
This  gives  us  some  idea  of  the  infinite  mind  of 
God,  their  Creator.  In  a  similar  way,  you 
must  have  noticed  how  great  is  the  diversity  in 
human  beings.  They  differ  in  appearance,  tastes, 
ideas,  habits,  even  in  their  manner  of  walking. 
In  every  school-room  you  are  able  to  recognize 


134  HEALTH   AND   HAPPINESS 

each  child  from  all  the  others.  In  the  same 
family,  with  the  same  parents,  living  under  the 
same  roof,  eating  the  same  food,  how  distinctly 
each  member  of  the  household  is  separated  from 
the  rest.  We  know  each  as  soon  as  we  see  him. 
It  shows  ns  something  of  the  wonderful  construc- 
tion of  the  eye,  which  reports  to  our  vision  even 
the  smallest  differences  between  people. 

5.  But  in  no  way  is  this  difference  in  people 
more  marked  than  in  the  tone  of  the  voice.  Before 
we  even  catch  a  glimpse  of  a  person,  we  know  who 
it  is  from  the  sound  of  his  voice.  And  remember 
that  the  voice  depends  on  the  vibration  of  some 
very  small  bits  of  cartilaginous  membrane 
stretched  along  the  larynx.  It  would  seem  well- 
nigh  impossible  to  make  any  diversion  here  where 
the  space  is  so  tiny,  the  membranes  all  of  exactly 
the  same  variety  of  tissue,  placed  in  exactly  the 
same  way  in  the  throat.  Yet  not  only  does  one 
voice  differ  from  another,  but  in  the  same  throat 
high  tones  differ  from  low  tones,  and  one  high  or 
low  tone  from  all  the  others,  enabling  man  to 
elicit  the  wondrous  music  which  enraptures  us 
when  listening  to  a  great  singer,  like  McCormack 
or  Caruso,  who  recently  died.  Is  not  our  God, 
who  made  us,  wonderful  and  mighty  beyond  the 
power  of  words! 


THE  PATH  OF  THE  AIR  155 

6.  All  should  try  to  become  good  speakers.  A 
man  or  woman  who  can  talk  well  in  public  is  able 
to  wield  a  great  power  for  good.  But  everything 
worth  while  costs  effort.  We  should  be  willing  to 
make  the  effort,  since  so  much  depends  upon  it. 
Do  not  be  discouraged  if  you  have  not  a  pleasing 
voice.  Very  much  may  be  accomplished  by  proper 
training  and  cultivation,  both  in  regard  to  singing 
and  to  speaking.  Some  do  not  take  the  trouble 
to  speak  distinctly,  as  a  consequence  their  enun- 
ciation is  always  poor.  Demosthenes  was  one  of 
the  greatest  orators  of  Greece;  he  became  such 
through  continued  efforts,  despite  the  great  hand- 
icap of  stammering,  which  he  had  as  a  youth. 

7.  Eeading  aloud  in  school  or  at  home  is  one 
of  the  best  ways  to  improve  the  voice,  if  you  are 
careful  to  acquire  the  correct  pronunciation  of 
each  vowel.  We  should  all  learn  to  breathe  prop- 
erly: ^'To  breathe  well  is  to  live  well,  to  live 
longer  and  better,''  someone  has  said.  Many 
people  never  use  their  lung  capacity,  because  they 
have  never  been  obliged  to  take  deep  and  full 
breaths.  All  vigorous  forms  of  exercise  help  to 
develop  the  chest  and  to  enlarge  the  lung  space, 
and  thus  to  increase  power  and  endurance  in 
speaking.  Swimming  is  said  to  be  one  of  the  best 
kinds  of  exercise  for  this  purpose.     Running  is 


156 


HEALTH   AND   HAPPINESS 


also  splendid,  for  all  runners  are  forced  to  use 
their  '  ^  second  wind, ' '  which  means  that  all  the  air 
is  renewed  in  the  lungs  as  they  run,  not  merely 
the  surface  air  at  the  top  of  the  chest,  as  happens 
in  the  case  of  those  who  never  take  exercise,  nor 
even  practice  deep  breathing. 


Using  Their  Second  Wind  at  Fordham  "Prep." 

8.  Proper  breathing  always  expands  the  abdo- 
men on  account  of  the  fact  that  when  the  lungs 
are  full,  the  diaphragm  is  pressed  down  upon  the 
abdominal  organs  and  pushes  them  out.  In  this 
way  it  acts  as  a  form  of  massage  for  these  organs, 
especially  for  the  stomach  and  liver,  and  thus  is 
also  an  effective  aid  to  the  circulation.    It  is  an- 


THE  PATH  OF  THE  AIR  157 

other  example  of  the  way  one  part  helps  another, 
and  of  the  wonderful  harmony  and  coordination 
which  exist  everywhere  in  the  body. 

9.  When  we  breathe,  the  chest  is  enlarged,  not 
only  by  the  descent  of  the  diaphragm,  which  forms 
its  floor,  but  also  by  the  elevation  of  the  ribs  and 
breastbone.  The  ribs,  you  will  remember,  are 
joined  to  the  vertebrae  in  the  back,  and  are  con- 
nected with  the  breastbone  in  the  front  by  cartil- 
ages, which  have  the  power  of  bending.  Two  sets 
of  muscles  are  attached  to  the  ribs,  the  inspira- 
tory and  the  expiratory.  The  inspiratory  muscles 
raise  the  ribs,  the  expiratory  muscles  lower  them, 
thus  tending  to  enlarge  the  chest  cavity  during 
inspiration,  and  decrease  it  during  expiration. 
We  do  not  have  to  think  about  all  these  move- 
ments; they  take  place  during  sleep  as  well  as 
when  we  are  awake.  The  process  of  breathing  is, 
therefore,  somewhat  like  the  automatic  beating  of 
the  heart. 

10.  The  trachea  extends  from  about  the  fifth 
vertebra  in  the  neck  to  the  fifth  in  the  chest.  It 
has  throughout  its  length  from  sixteen  to  twenty 
rings  of  cartilage,  which  hold  it  open.  These 
rings  do  not  join  in  the  back,  however,  and  so 
furnish  no  obstruction  to  the  passage  of  food 
down  the  esophagus,  which  is  directly  behind. 


158  HEALTH   AND   HAPPINESS 

11.  The  trachea  divides  into  two  tubes,  which 
are  smaller  editions  of  itself,  called  bronchi.  The 
inflammation  of  the  tubes  brings  about  the  condi- 
tion called  bronchitis.  When  these  tubes  enter  the 
lungs  they  divide  again  and  again,  until  they  end 
in  little  bunches  of  air  sacs.  The  tissue  of  the 
lungs  is  itself  elastic,  stretching  as  the  air  enters, 
till  it  fills  all  the  space  in  the  chest,  except  that  oc- 
cupied by  the  heart. 

12.  The  lungs  are  connected  to  the  chest-wall 
by  a  double  sac,  the  pleura,  one  layer  of  which 
covers  the  lungs,  the  other  is  attached  to  the  chest- 
wall.  The  insides  of  these  sacs  produce  a  small 
amount  of  fluid,  which  prevents  friction  between 
the  lungs  and  the  ribs,  allowing  one  layer  to  move 
upon  the  other  without  any  difficulty.  Dry  pleu- 
risy is  the  condition  in  which  these  two  layers  are 
inflamed  here  or  there,  causing  pain.  In  wet  pleu- 
risy the  fluid  increases  to  such  a  degree  that  it 
partially  fills  up  the  sac  and  prevents  the  expan- 
sion of  the  lung.  It  often  is  drawn  off  by  tapping, 
when  it  seriously  interferes  with  breathing. 

13.  There  is  always  a  certain  amount  of  pres- 
sure in  air,  just  as-  there  is  in  water.  If  you  put 
an  empty  glass  or  bottle  under  water,  the  pressure 
immediately  fills  it  with  the  liquid.  In  the  same 
way,  wherever  there  is  any  space,  the  air  pres- 


THE  PATH   OF  THE  AIR 


159 


sure  at  once  fills  it  with  air.  ^^  Nature  abhors 
a  vacuum."  That  is  how  we  breathe.  During 
inspiration,  the  chest-wall  is  lifted  and  broadened 
and  the  diaphragm  is  flattened.  Into  the  enlarged 
space  the  air  pushes  the  lungs,  and  as  they  are 
elastic,  they  expand  without  difficulty.    When  we 


Columbus  Day  at  Fordham  University. 

breathe  forcibly,  we  stretch  them  still  more,  and 
the  air  penetrates  into  the  smallest  sac. 

14.  We  have  learned  that  the  blood  from  the 
right  side  of  the  heart  goes  to  the  lungs  through 
a  large  artery,  called  the  pulmonary  artery.  Just 
as  the  bronchi  divide  and  sub-divide  in  the  lungs, 
so  the  artery  branches  into  innumerable  capil- 
laries, and  these  form  a  fine  network  all  over  the 


160  HEALTH   AND   HAPPINESS 

surface  of  the  air  sacs.  If  you  picture  the  trachea 
as  a  mighty  oak,  spreading  its  branches  in  all 
directions,  you  may  consider  the  capillaries  as 
vines  which  climb  the  tree,  growing  around  the 
limbs  and  even  the  smallest  twigs. 

15.  In  the  small  sub-divisions  of  the  lungs,  the 
tissue  is  thinned  out  to  the  finest  degree;  in  the 
same  way  the  capillaries  which  cluster  over  them 
are  so  tiny  that  their  walls  are  not  more  than  one 
cell  thick.  The  blood  does  not  actually  leave  the 
capillaries,  but  the  red  cells  within  them  have 
the  powder  of  attracting  through  the  walls  the 
oxygen  in  the  air,  and  as  this  is  a  gas,  it  passes 
through  without  causing  any  damage  to  the  fine 
tissue  of  the  lung  or  the  blood  vessel.  Is  not  that 
power  of  attraction  a  wonderful  thing!  We  can- 
not even  see  the  difference  in  the  gases  which 
are  in  the  air;  yet  the  red  cells  would  seem  to  be 
more  clever  than  we,  for  they  are  able  to  sub- 
tract from  the  air  just  the  amount  of  oxygen 
which  is  needed  for  the  repair  of  some  part  of  the 
body,  while  we  are  not  even  conscious  of  the 
process,  despite  our  boasted  wisdom.  The  more 
we  know,  the  more  we  realize  how  small  is  our 
knowledge,  compared  with  His,  whose  wisdom 
formed  us  from  clay  and  keeps  us  ever  from  de- 
struction.   When  Pasteur,  the  ' '  Father  of  Modern 


THE  PATH  OF  THE  AIR  161 

Medicine,''  was  an  old  man,  he  said:  ^^Tlie  more  I 
learn,  the  nearer  I  approach  the  faith  of  a  Breton 
peasant.  If  I  had  only  studied  more,  I  should 
be  able  to  approach  the  faith  of  the  Breton 
peasant's  wife." 

16.  Eemember  also,  the  process  is  never-end- 
ing. As  soon  as  the  blood  takes  the  life-giving 
oxygen  to  some  worn-out  cell,  it  picks  up  what 
the  tissue  gives  up  as  useless,  and  hurries  it  back 
through  the  veins  to  the  heart,  to  be  pumped 
again  to  the  lungs,  there  to  continue  without  los- 
ing a  second.  What  should  we  say  to  those  people 
who  abuse  their  bodies  in  any  foolish  way,  forcing 
these  tireless  messengers  in  the  blood  to  do  more 
than  their  allotted  share  of  toil,  in  order  to  ward 
off  feebleness  and  disease  from  those  who  really 
do  not  deserve  such  condescension  on  Grod's  part? 

QUESTION'S 

1.  What   are   "mouth-breathers"?     Why  is  the   name  given 

them? 

2.  What  is  the  name  of  the  tube  that  brings  air  to  the  lungs'? 

Where  is  it  placed?    What  is  the  epiglottis?    Why  is  it 
dangerous  to  talk  and  eat  at  once? 
What  does  a  cough  mean? 

3.  What  is  the  larynx?     What  does  it  contain?     Why  were 

voices  given  to  us?     For  what  purpose  should  they  not 
be  used? 

4.  What  have  you  noticed  about  differences  in  people? 


162  HEALTH   AND   HAPPINESS 

5.  What  have  you  noticed  about  voices?     What  does  this 

show? 

6.  Is  it  well  to  learn  to  speak?     Why  so?     Who  became  a 

gTeat  orator,  though  handicapped  by  stammering? 

7.  What  is  a  good  way  to  improve  the  voice?     What  exer- 

cises are  helpful? 

8.  How  does  the  diaphragm  affect  the  abdomen? 

9.  Describe  the  movements  of  the  chest  during  breathing. 
W^hat  do  the  inspiratory  muscles  effect?     The  expiratory? 

10.  What  do  you  know  about  the  trachea?     About  its  rings 

of  cartilage? 

11.  What  are  the  bronchi?     How  do  they  divide? 

12.  What  are  the  pleura?     Distinguish  between  wet  and  dry 

pleurisy. 

13.  How  do  we  breathe? 

14.  How  do  the  blood  vessels  reach  the  air  sacs? 

15.  How  does  the  oxygen  in  the  air  get  into  the  blood? 

16.  How  often  does  this  process  occur  in  a  day? 


Chapter  XVI 
ARTIFICIAL   BREATHING 

1.  Resuscitation,  or  artificial  respiration,  is  the 
process  of  restoring  breathing,  when  once  it  has 
stopped  for  any  reason.  The  reason  may  be 
drowning,  gas  asphyxiation,  drugging,  an  electrical 
shock  or  a  blow  (concussion).  But  whatever  the 
cause,  the  individual  ceases  to  draw  fresh  air  into 
the  lungs,  therefore  the  blood  is  deprived  of  the 
life-giving  oxygen  which  the  tissues  need.  There 
are  three  methods  of  resuscitation,  in  all  of  which 
the  procedure  is  just  the  opposite  of  natural 
breathing,  that  is,  the  lungs  are  filled  with  air  by 
positive  pressure. 

2.  The  method  advocated  by  Hall  consists  of 
placing  the  person  face  downward  and  rolling 
the  body  from  side  to  side,  at  the  same  time  press- 
ing upon  the  chest  with  the  hands. 

In  the  Sylvester  method  the  person  is  placed 
on  the  back,  with  a  small  cushion  or  a  coat  under 
the  shoulders.  The  one  who  is  to  undertake  resus- 
citation kneels   behind   the   patient's   head,    and 

163 


164 


HEALTH   AND   HAPPINESS 


grasping  his  arms,  brings  them  up  above  the 
head,  then  downward,  pressing  them  forcibly 
against  the  sides  of  the  chest.  These  movements 
should  be  made  slowly,  not  more  than  twelve  times 
a  minute.     This  number  is  important,  as  most 


Viewing  a  Fordham-Georgetown  Football  Game. 

people  in  their  eagerness  to  serve,  will  be  over- 
anxious. 

3.  Another  method,  which  seems  the  simplest  as 
well  as  the  safest,  is  described  by  Schaefer:  ^^It 
consists  in  putting  the  subject  on  the  ground  face 
downward,  with  a  thick  folded  garment  under- 
neath the  chest  and  stomach.  The  operator  puts 
himself  athAvart  or  at  the  side  of  the  patient^  fac- 


ARTIFICIAL  BREATHING  165 

ing  his  head,  and  places  his  hands  on  each  side 
over  the  lower  ribs  at  the  back.  He  then  slowly 
throws  the  weight  of  his  body  forward  to  bear 
upon  his  own  arms,  and  thns  presses  upon  the 
chest  of  the  subject,  and  forces  the  air  out  of  the 
lungs.  This  being  effected,  he  gradually  relaxes 
the  pressure  by  bringing  his  own  body  up  again 
to  a  more  erect  position,  but  without  moving  his 
hands.  These  movements  should  be  repeated 
regularly  twelve  or  fifteen  times  a  minute,  until 
the  person  begins  to  breathe,  or  the  prospect  of 
restoration  is  abandoned.  A  half  hour  or  more 
may  be  required  before  success  is  obtained." 

4.  Do  not  give  up  too  soon.  People  who  were 
given  up  for  dead  have  been  restored  by  a  con- 
tinuation of  the  process  by  some  one  else.  While 
respiration  is  being  established,  the  patient  should 
be  freed  of  his  garments,  if  they  are  wet,  and  the 
circulation  assisted  by  vigorous  rubbing  of  the 
extremities  by  other  assistants.  After  breathing 
becomes  regular,  give  the  patient  hot  coffee  and 
cover  him  with  blankets 

5.  If  the  case  seems  hopeless,  and  you  are  not 
sure  that  the  person  was  baptized  the  Sacrament 
of  Baptism  should  be  administered  by  any  one  of 
those  present  who  knows  the  simple  formula.  If 
vou  do  not  know  it,  look  it  up  in  your  catechism. 


166  HEALTH   AND   HAPPINESS 

as  you  may  at  some  time  or  other  be  the  means 
of  sending  some  sonl  to  heaven  nnder  snch  cir- 
cumstances. In  any  case,  send  for  a  priest,  if  pos- 
sible. 

QUESTIONS 

1.  What  is  resuscitation'?     What  may  cause  one  to  attempt 

it? 

2.  What  are  the  methods  of  resuscitation? 

3.  What  is  Schaefer's  method? 

4.  How  long  should  it  be  continued?    Is  there  any  other  rem- 

edy? 

5.  What  should  be  done,  if  a  case  seems  hopeless? 


Chapter  XVII 
THE  NERVOUS   SYSTEM 

1.  Have  you  ever  been  in  a  central  telephone 
office,  and  watched  the  numerous  clerks  receiving 
and  sending  messages  near  and  far  across  the 
wires?  Have  you  marvelled  at  their  speed,  and 
thought  what  a  wizard  Mr.  Edison  must  have 
been  to  perfect  the  telephone  to  such  an  extent 
that  we  may  speak  from  New  York  to  a  friend 
in  Chicago  almost  as  clearly  as  if  he  were  in  the 
same  room  at  home?  What  a  revolution  in  the 
business  world  has  been  produced  by  the  intro- 
duction of  the  telephone !  How  slow  and  strange 
life  would  seem  now,  if  we  w^ere  suddenly  de- 
prived of  the  use  of  this  instrument! 

2.  But  wonderful  as  the  telephone  is,  there  must 
be  intelligent  clerks,  alert  at  their  posts,  to  con- 
nect the  wires  before  the  message  can  be  sent.  A 
large  force  of  men  must  be  employed  to  keep 
watch  and  restore  anything  broken  or  frayed. 
The  smallest  part  of  the  myriad  workings  of  this 
vast  system  must  be  kept  in  order  or  defects  and 

167 


168  HEALTH   AND   HAPPINESS 

annoying  delays  will  resnlt.  '^  Eternal  vigilance 
is  the  price  of  success,"  and  though  money  is 
ever  pouring  into  the  cotTers  of  the  company 
which  controls  the  system,  it  also  requires  the 
constant  expenditure  of  much  money,  labor  and 
thought  to  bring  satisfaction  to  oAvner  and  user 
of  the  telephone. 

3.  There  is  something  like  a  complicated  tele- 
phone system  within  the  bodies  of  all  of  us,  only 
it  is  far  more  amazing  than  the  most  perfect  tele- 
phone ever  invented.  It  is  called  the  central  nerv- 
ous system,  the  chief  station  of  which  is  within  the 
skull.  It  is  also  known  as  the  cerebro-spinal  sys- 
tem, because  its  main  line  is  made  up  of  the  brain 
and  the  spinal  cord. 

4.  Like  all  the  important  parts  of  the  body,  the 
brain  and  spinal  cord  are  enclosed  in  a  delicate 
sac,  which,  in  their  case  consists  of  a  triple  cov- 
ering, called  the  meninges.  The  ending,  ^4tis,'' 
always  denotes  inflammation,  and  so  spinal  men- 
ingitis means  the  disease  in  which  the  covering  of 
the  spinal  portion  of  the  nervous  system  is  in- 
flamed. Cerebro-spinal  meningitis  includes  the 
covering  of  the  brain  also.  This  inflammation 
generally  is  due  to  some  germ  which  penetrates 
through  the  body  until  it  can  attack  these  delicate 
membranes. 


THE  NERVOUS  SYSTEM 


169 


Sagittal  Section  Through  Head  from  Model. 

A,  Scalp;  B,  Skull  Bone;  C,  Right  Hemisphere  of  Brain;  D,  Medulla;  E, 
Cerebellum;  F,  Spinal  Cord;  G,  Spinal  Vertebra;  H,  Spinal  Process;  K, 
Cartilage  Packing;  L,  Nerves  of  Smell;  M,  Pharynx;  N,  Soft  Palate 
(Uvula);  O,  Tooth;  P,  Tongue;  Q,  Lower  Jaw  Bone;  E,  Epiglottis;  S, 
Larynx;    T.  Trachea;    U,  Esophagus, 


170  HEALTH   AND   HAPPINESS 

5.  When  a  telephone  company  has  established 
itself  in  a  neighborhood,  another  organization 
sometimes  obtrudes  itself,  endeavoring  to  draw 
business  away  from  the  company  that  was  first 
in  the  field.  In  the  body  there  is  also  a  second 
nervous  system,  lying  outside  the  spinal  column 
instead  of  inside,  but  it  is  a  good  friend  and  aux- 
iliary to  the  other,  rather  than  a  rival  or  antago- 
nist. This  second  system  is  the  sympathetic  sys- 
tem, and,  together  with  some  branches  of  the 
other  (which  are  concerned  with  the  heart  and 
digestive  organs),  is  also  called  the  autonomic 
system,  because  it  controls  the  involuntary  mus- 
cles, or  those  not  under  the  control  of  the  will. 

6.  The  central  nervous  system  governs  the 
organs  of  sense.  The  voluntary  muscles,  which 
are  generally  those  muscles  attached  to  the  bones 
of  the  skeleton,  are  called  skeletal  muscles.  When, 
for  instance,  we  wish  to  move  a  hand,  the  brain 
flashes  the  signal  down  through  the  cord  and  out 
along  the  nerve  of  the  arm,  till  it  reaches  those 
particular  muscles  which  move  the  hand  in  the  di- 
rection desired.  But  when  food  is  passing  along 
the  alimentary  tract,  it  is  the  nerves  from  the 
autonomic  system  that  assist  it  on  its  journey  and 
urge  on  the  various  parts  properly  to  perform 
their  digestive  functions. 


THE  NERVOUS  SYSTEM  171 

7.  The  brain,  or  cerebrum,  is  the  organ  of  the 
higher  faculties  and  feelings,  such  as  the  intellect 
and  will,  which,  however,  being  faculties  of  the 
soul,  are  entirely  distinct  from  the  brain,  even 
though  they  use  it  as  their  instrument.  If  the  cere- 
brum is  not  developed  sufficiently,  or  if  it  has  been 
injured,  the  individual  becomes  foolish  or  idiotic, 
cannot  reason  or  make  up  his  mind  to  do  things 
easily  within  his  powers.  Does  not  this  seem  to 
show  that  there  really  is  no  soul ;  because  if  there 
were,  it  could  not  be  damaged  by  any  injury  or 
deformity  of  the  brain,  since  we  claim  that  it  is 
spiritual?  We  do  indeed  claim  that  the  soul  is 
spiritual  or  immaterial;  that  is,  not  made  of 
matter,  such  as  that  which  composes  the  body; 
but  we  do  not  say  that  it  is  a  pure  spirit,  as  an 
angel  is,  who  in  no  way  depends  on  matter.  God 
made  us  a  compound  of  soul  and  body  in  such  a 
manner  that  the  body  is  held  in  life  by  the  soul, 
and  the  soul  depends  on  the  body  for  its  opera- 
tions. When  a  part  is  injured,  therefore,  the  soul 
cannot  act  through  it,  just  as  a  boy  cannot  use  a 
broken  hammer  to  drive  a  nail,  though  he  knows 
well  how  to  use  tools ;  or  a  girl,  though  an  expert 
seamstress,  cannot  do  good  work  with  a  bent  or 
blunt  needle. 

8.  The  two  halves  of  the  brain  and  the  spinal 


172  HEALTH   AND   HAPPINESS 

cord  are  exactly  alike,  and  nerves  cross  over  from 
one  side  to  the  other,  so  that  there  is  constant 
intercommnnication  between  the  two :  one  helps 
the  other ;  one  takes  up  where  the  other  leaves 
off;  what  one  is  unable  to  do,  for  any  special 


Keystone  View  Co. 

Every  Nerve  in  Form. 

reason,  the  other  does ;  an  impulse  started  in  one 
is  transmitted  through  the  other  to  a  whole  series 
of  connecting  links.  On  account  of  this  wonderful 
system's  arrangement,  when  endowed  with  life, 
we  are  able  to  appreciate  at  once  that  the  little 
finger  which  is  cut  belongs  to  our  body,  that  it  is 
our  foot  which  has  been  hurt,  etc.    Perhaps  this 


THE  NERVOUS  SYSTEM  173 

is  the  first  time  you  have  thought  of  this  fact ;  but 
it  shows  us  clearly  that  there  is  some  principle 
within  us  that  is  the  same  in  all  parts  of  the 
body.  It  is  that  thing  which  makes  the  foot 
something  entirely  different  from  the  shoe.  It 
lets  the  owner  of  the  body  know  clearly  that  the 
hand  belongs  to  it  as  an  integral  part  of  the  same 
individual,  whereas  the  glove  is  merely  an  exterior 
addition.  We  say,  '^my  shoe,''  ^'my  glove,''  etc.; 
but  we  are  well  aware  of  the  enormous  difference 
that  exists  between  what  we  own,  and  what  is 
actually  part  and  parcel  of  ourselves. 

9.  Some  of  the  so-called  scientists  of  modern 
days  have  claimed  that  there  are  hundreds  of 
thousands  of  individualities  inside  us;  that,  in 
fact,  each  cell  has  its  own  personality.  But  they 
are  saying  such  things  merely  in  order  to  deny 
the  unity  of  the  soul.  Their  lack  of  faith  blinds 
them  to  the  fact  of  which  Catholics  are  so  vividly 
aware.  Catholics  realize  and  acknowledge  that 
within  us  there  are  indeed  different  portions  of 
the  body,  many  diverse  cells  (as  many  as  25,000,- 
000,000,000,000),  varied  moods,  myriad  thoughts 
and  changing  physical  conditions.  We  are  quite 
unlike  a  jellyfish  or  a  microbe.  But  we  are  even 
more  certain  that  it  is  not  ^  ^  a  stream  of  conscious- 
ness" which  holds   us   together;   nor   the   mere 


174  HEALTH  AND   HAPPINESS 

*^ proximity  of  parts"  which  makes  us  one;  but 
that  there  is  a  central  governing  force  which  uni- 
fies all  parts,  making  them  one  and  the  same, 
individual. 

10.  It  is  the  nervous  system  which  God  ar- 
ranged should  be  used  by  the  soul  as  its  chief 
instrument  to  accomplish  this  astonishing  fact, 
and  by  means  of  it  we  work  out  our  eternal  sal- 
vation.   You  sometimes  see  the  triplet: 

"Sow  a  thought,  and  reap  an  act. 
Sow  an  act,  and  reap  a  habit. 
Sow  a  habit,  and  reap  a  character." 

But  seldom  is  the  fourth  and  most  important  line 
added,  which  funs  thus: 

"Sow  a  character,  and  reap  a  destiny." 

11.  Without  any  doubt,  we  do  form  habits  by 
the  succession  of  acts,  and  we  become  so  accus- 
tomed to  their  repetition  that  we  cease  to  take  any 
notice  of  them.  Thus  the  beginner's  perform- 
ances on  the  piano  consist  of  slow  and  painful 
placing  of  each  finger  on  the  white  and  black  notes 
of  the  keyboard.  But  after  long  practice  the 
hands  of  the  musician  sweep  from  end  to  end  of 
the  instrument,  slip  from  one  delicious  chord  into 


THE  NERVOUS  SYSTEM  175 

another,  without  the  necessity  of  glancing  at  them, 
or  even  of  thinking  of  them. 

12.  In  similar  fashion,  we  perform  daily  acts 
of  kindness  until  they  occur  spontaneously.  We 
keep  on  overcoming  temptation,  until  what  was 
difficult  becomes  easy  and  pleasant  and  seems  the 
natural,  as  well  as  the  supernatural  thing  to  do. 
Sometimes  we  become  discouraged  when  we  think 
of  the  many  things  we  must  accomplish  before  we 
can  reach  heaven;  but  we  ought  to  remember 
that  when  we  are  well  advanced  on  the  way,  it  is 
really  easier  to  continue  straight  forward,  than  to 
turn  around  and  deliberately  face  the  open  jaws 
of  hell. 

13.  We  may  have  envied  the  ability  of  a  Saint 
Aloysius  to  pray  for  hours  without  a  distraction. 
But  he  accomplished  this  by  repeated  efforts 
every  day,  until  he  acquired  such  splendid  control 
over  his  nervous  system,  that  it  resisted,  rather 
than  welcomed,  any  outside  influence,  while  his 
mind  was  fixed  on  God  and  holy  things.  It  is 
similar  to  learning  to  skate.  You  receive  a  fine 
pair  of  skates  for  Christmas,  and  rejoice  that  the 
weather  is  cold  enough  to  freeze  the  pond  nearby. 
With  your  best  friend  you  run  down  to  the  shore, 
then  sit  down  to  put  on  the  skates,  amid  an  ad- 
miring group  of  the  neighbor's  children,  who  look 


176  HEALTH   AND   HAPPINESS 

as  if  they  wished  Santa  Glaus  had  been  equally 
generous  to  them.  The  skates  are  buckled  on; 
3^ou  stand  up,  striving  to  conceal  the  unexpected 
trembling  of  your  heart.  Your  instructor  tells 
you  to  '^strike  out."  You  do  not  dare  to  disobey 
Avith  all  those  eyes  upon  you.  You  do  strike  out ; 
immediately  you  fall  down.  You  are  picked  up 
and  told  to  try  again.  You  try  again ;  once  more 
you  assume  a  sitting  posture.  If  you  are  cow- 
ardly, you  will  then  give  up  and  retire  to  the 
safe  shelter  of  the  hearth.  If  you  have  the 
normal  share  of  pluck,  however,  you  are  not  de- 
terred by  your  falls,  but  keep  on  trying  until  you 
are  spoken  of  as  the  most  graceful  skater  of 
your  age  by  your  flattering  relations,  who  fre- 
quently come  to  the  scene  to  witness  your  prowess 
on  the  ice. 

14.  In  obtaining  facility  in  spiritual  things, 
much  the  same  tactics  are  pursued.  We  daily  do 
pious  things,  until  we  become  pious.  We  perform 
humble  things  until  we  become  humble.  We  keep 
on  obeying,  until  we  become  obedient.  So  of  other 
things ;  and  having  thus  formed  habits  by  repeated 
good  actions,  and  having  moulded  sterling  char- 
acters by  the  attainment  of  many  good  habits, 
death  finds  us  at  last  with  the  characteristics  of 
saints  and  bears  us  away  from  this  earth  to  be 
saints  forever  with  God  in  His  home  in  heaven. 


THE   NERVOUS  SYSTEM 


177 


15.  Though  the  acquirement  of  any  habit,  bod- 
ily or  spiritual,  involves  the  daily  use  of  the 
nerves,  and  the  control  of  at  least  parts  of  the 
nervous  system,  there  is  this  important  distinc- 
tion between  what  is  natural  and  what  is  super- 
natural.    In  the  weaving  of  our  destinies,  we  do 


A  Happy  Group  on  May-day. 

not  depend  wholly  on  our  own  unaided  efforts. 
We  know  that  God  is  everywhere;  He  sees  all 
our  struggles ;  He  knows  every  one  of  our  difficul- 
ties. He  not  only  has  made  us,  but  constantly 
supports  us  in  existence.  There  is  nothing  which 
we  attempt,  for  which  He  does  not  supply  aid. 
We  cannot  so  much  as  move  a  hand  without  His 
assistance.    But  when  we  do  good  and  holy  things, 


178  HEALTH   AND   HAPPINESS 

when  we  strive  to  avoid  evil  and  to  act  in  the  way 
which  pleases  Grod,  when  we  endeavor  to  cultivate 
virtues  by  being  kind,  truthful,  generous  and 
charitable, — in  a  word,  when  we  try  to  imitate 
our  Model,  who  was  ^'meek  and  humble  of  heart," 
then  we  have  not  only  His  ordinary  cooperation 
in  the  nervous  system  which  He  gave  us,  but 
also  those  special  helps  and  favors  about  which 
we  are  taught  in  our  catechism  classes. 

;,  QUESTIONS 

.    1,  2.  What  is  necessary  to  make  the  telephone  system  a  suc- 
cess? 

3.  Is  there  a  system  within  us  which  corresponds  to  the  tele- 

phone system  ?     What  is  its  name  ? 

4.  What  is  the  covering  of  the  brain  called  *? 
;        What  is  cerebro-spinal  meningitis? 

,   5.  What  is  the  second  nervous  system?    Where  is  it? 

6.  What  are  the  differences  between  the  two  nervous  systems? 
:  7.  How  much  do  the  intellect  and  the  will  depend  on  the 
'  brain?     Are  they  identified  with  it?     If  the  soul  is  dis- 

tinct from  the  body,  how  is  it  that  our  mental  state 
seems  to  correspond  to  the  condition  of  the  brain? 

8.  What  is  the  arrangement  of  the  brain  and  the  spinal  cord? 

Of  what  help  is  this  arrangement  to  us  ? 

9.  How  many  cells  are  there  in  the  body  ?  Is  our  life  a  mere 

stream  of  consciousness?     How  can  you  tell? 

10.  What  part  of  the  body  does  the  soul  use  chiefly? 

11.  How  do  we  learn? 

12.  What  should  this  method  tell  us? 

13.  Give  an  example  of  what  practice  can  do. 

14.  How  are  habits  formed? 

15.  Is  there  any  distinction  between  acquiring  what  is  natural 

and  what   is   supernatural?     What  is  the   meaning   of 
"supernatural"  ? 


Chapter  XVIII 
THE  CENTRAL  STATION 

1.  In  proportion  to  his  size,  man  has  the  big- 
gest brain  known.  He  alone  has  intelligence  and 
will-power.  Animals  have  senses,  feeling  and  in- 
stinct to  guide  them,  bnt  not  an  intelligent  soul 
with  its  faculties,  for  they  are  not  destined  by  the 
Creator  for  the  immortal  existence  which  He  has 
granted  to  us. 

2.  The  outside  of  the  brain  is  called  the  cortex, 
which  is  divided  up  into  many  ridges  and  fur- 
rows, known  as  fissures  and  convolutions.  It  has 
been  found  by  experiments  on  animals,  also  from 
necessary  operations  in  the  case  of  man,  that 
various  localities  in  the  brain  are  concerned  with 
the  movements  of  various  parts  of  the  head  and 
body.  Thus  the  area  included  within  a  few  con- 
volutions or  fissures  on  the  side  of  the  head  is 
connected  with  taste,  those  above  with  hearing, 
the  ones  behind  with  seeing;  the  area  on  the  top 
of  the  brain  is  concerned  with  the  trunk,  just  be- 

179 


180 


HEALTH   AND   HAPPINESS 


low  tMs  is  the  area  for  the  legs,  underneath  for 
the  arms,  in  the  centre  for  the  face,  etc.,  as  is  ob- 
served in  a  paralysis.  One  portion  may  be 
injured  and  a  deformity  result,  without  any  defect 
necessarily  occurring  in  any  other  part.  Thus  the 
blood  vessels,  which  supply  the  particular  place 


A  Striking  Pose. 

where  the  nerves  which  control  the  motions  of 
one  of  the  fingers  originate,  may  be  diseased  for 
some  reason,  with  the  result  that  the  blood  es- 
capes into  the  surrounding  tissue  and  blocks  it 
up.  This  will  prevent  the  movements  of  that 
finger,  but  leave  all  the  others  undamaged.  A 
hand  area  may  be  involved  without  any  injury 


THE   CENTRAL  STATION  181 

to  the  wrist  or  arm.  A  foot  area  may  be  unsound, 
but  no  other  deformity  necessarily  follows  in  the 
leg. 

3.  If  the  damage  is  slight,  the  tissue  may  be 
capable  of  being  repaired;  the  area  may  recover 
its  usefulness,  if  not  wholly,  at  least  to  some  ex- 
tent. Sometimes  curious  effects  follow  injuries 
to  small  regions.  After  attacks  of  influenza  some 
patients  are  unable  for  a  time  to  understand  the 
meaning  of  words  which  are  spoken,  while  they 
readily  grasp  their  sense  if  written  or  printed. 
This  shows  that  the  nerves  of  the  hearing  centre 
were  disturbed,  while  those  of  the  seeing  area 
remained  intact. 

4.  We  often  hear  that  old  people  suffer  ''shock'' 
or  a  ''stroke."  This  signifies  that  the  brain  tis- 
sue in  some  area  has  been  injured,  generally 
by  the  escape  of  blood  from  some  break  in  a 
blood  vessel.  It  is  often  called,  "a  clot  of  blood 
on  the  brain."  If  it  is  the  part  which  controls 
movements  of  the  arm  or  leg,  the  person  loses 
power  over  that  extremity,  and  is  said  to  be 
paralyzed,  the  extent  of  paralysis  depending  upon 
the  amount  of  damage. 

5.  The  injury  need  not  be  in  the  brain  itself 
to  produce  such  a  result.  It  may  also  occur  in  the 
cord.    Thus  in  the  disease  called  infantile  paraly- 


182  HEALTH   AND   HAPPINESS 

sis,  only  that  special  part  of  the  spinal  cord  from 
which  the  nerves  run  to  the  leg  or  foot  is  affected, 
with  consequent  inability  to  use  that  member.  On 
account  of  the  crossing  of  the  nerves  from  one 
side  to  the  other,  it  is  the  right  side  of  the  brain 
which  controls  the  left  side  of  the  body.  After  a 
shock  it  has  happened  that  the  area  itself  re- 
covers, while  the  nerves  lose  some  of  their  con- 
necting links,  and  the  person  makes  peculiar 
slips  in  speech  as  a  consequence.  Thus  if  he 
wishes  to  say  a  word,  like  ''tree,"  for  example, 
he  may  say  "house,"  or  something  else  far  re- 
moved from  what  he  intended.  This  shows  what 
an  intricate  machine  the  nervous  system  is,  and 
how  delicate  is  its  adjustment. 

6.  The  speech-controlling  centre  is  on  the  left 
side  of  the  brain  on  the  under  surface,  in  a  con- 
volution called  the  convolution  of  Broca,  after 
the  man  who  described  it.  Mr.  Edison  has  lately 
placed  the  location  of  the  soul  here,  as  if 
talkativeness  were  a  sign  of  great  spirituality. 
The  interesting  thing  to  note  is  that  if  the  left 
side  is  injured,  and  the  person  is,  therefore,  un- 
able to  speak  as  a  result,  after  a  while  the  right 
side  takes  up  the  duty,  restoring  the  power  of 
speech. 

7.  Another  interesting  fact,  which  helps  to  re- 
fute the  doctrine  of  those  who  hold  that  man  is 


THE   CENTRAL  STATION  183 

descended  from  the  monkey,  is  that  in  the  mon- 
key's brain  there  is  a  convolntion  just  like  the 
convolution  of  Broca;  yet  the  monkey  has  never 
been  able  to  say  one  word,  though  men  have 
wasted  years  trying  to  teach  it.  On  the  other 
hand,  the  cortex  of  the  parrot's  brain  is  quite 
smooth,  without  a  vestige  of  this  convolution,  yet 
it  can  be  taught  to  pronounce  words. 

8.  The  theory  which  Darwin  taught,  of  man's 
descent  from  apedom,  is  being  discarded  now- 
adays, and  other  follies  are  substituted.  For  ex- 
ample, a  gorilla  died  recently  in  a  circus  in  New 
York;  the  following  is  taken  from  one  of  the  ac- 
counts of  his  death,  written  by  a  writer  usually 
very  sagacious  on  other  matters:  ''You  will  be 
told  that  his  brain  is  like  that  of  man  in  structure 
and  operation.  For  every  bone  in  the  human 
skeleton,  the  gorilla's  skeleton  will  show  a  bone 
almost  exactly  similar.  Some  will  say  that  this 
proves  that  man  descended  from  a  monkey.  But 
it  does  not.  Man  grew  up  alongside  the  monkey, 
and  passed  the  monkey.  He  is  constructed  like 
the  monkey,  because  both  had  to  fight  the  law  of 
gravitation."  (But  if  man  grew  up  .with  the 
monkey  and  both  had  the  same  laws  to  fight,  why 
should  man  surpass  the  monkey?)  The  writer 
makes  the  statement,  but  offers  no  proof  to  sup- 
port it.     It  is  a  sample  of  the  absurd  assertions 


184  HEALTH   AND   HAPPINESS 

made  without  any  foundation  by  those  who  reject 
the  Biblical  account  of  creation  which,  even  from 
the  mere  viewpoint  of  history,  stands  as  sound 
evidence.  The  article  continues  to  scatter  more 
of  the  same  kind  of  valueless  foolishness.  ^^Your 
ear  was  once  the  gill  on  a  fish,  letting  out  the 
water.  Your  five  fingers  come  from  the  five-toed 
foot  of  the  salamander  that  lived  millions  of  years 
ago  under  the  fern  trees  that  produced  the  coal 
beds."  (And  we  are  counted  behind  the  times  if 
we  refuse  to  accept  this  sort  of  wisdom  which 
has  not  a  shred  of  proof  to  support  it,  preferring 
to  believe  the  inspired  Word  of  God  and  the  teach- 
ing of  His  infallible  Church.  It  only  proves  that 
faith  is  a  gift  of  God,  and  fortunate  are  we  to 
whom  that  gift  has  been  given.) 

QUESTIONS 

1.  What  are  some  differences  between  man  and  animals? 

2.  What  is  the  cortex,  and  into  what  is  it  divided? 

Name  a  few  areas  of  movement.     If  an  injury  occurs  in 
the  brain,  what  is  the  usual  result? 

3.  Give  an  example  of  the  results  of  brain  damage. 

4.  What  is  a  shock  or  stroke? 

5.  For  deformity,  need  the  injury  exist  in  the  brain? 

6.  What  is  the  convolution  of  Broca?     What  does  Edison 

attribute  to  it  ? 

7.  What  can  be  cited  as  a  refutation  of  the  theory  of  man's 

descent  from  a  monkey? 

8.  What  do  you  think  of  the  average  proofs  which  are  given 

to  throw  discredit  upon  the  Biblical  account  of  creation? 


Chapter  XIX 
THE   CARE   OF  THE   NERVES 

1.  A  very  important  part  of  the  nervous  sys- 
tem is  that  which  connects  the  brain  and  the  spinal 
cord.  This  is  the  medulla  oblongata,  where  some 
of  the  vital  functions  are  centred.  It  is  this  spot 
which  the  toreador  strives  to  pierce  with  his 
rapier  when  he  delivers  the  death-blow  to  the  poor 
animal  at  the  end  of  a  bull-fight.  Instant  death 
results  from  any  injury  to  it.  On  the  other  hand, 
large  portions  of  brain  or  cord  tissue  may  be 
damaged  without  loss  of  life  or  even  serious  dis- 
figurement. In  the  museum  of  a  certain  medical 
school  i^  exhibited  the  skull  of  a  man,  which  shows 
where  a  crowbar  passed  through  from  front  to 
back.  The  brain  necessarily  must  have  been  ter- 
ribly injured,  but  the  man  lived  for  some  time 
afterward. 

2.  When  a  man  falls  from  a  height  and  breaks 
his  neck,  the  vertebrae  are  fractured  to  such  an 
extent  that  the  spinal  cord  is  severed.  This  does 
not  produce  death  at  once,  but  paralysis  occurs 

185 


186 


HEALTH  AND  HAPPINESS 


\ 

/ 

/ 
1 

..-— 

\ 

\ 

-' 

\ 
\ 

?/ ' 

\ 
\ 

/ 

\ 

/ 

<; 

i 

1 

\ 

' 

-1 

/ 

/ 

/ 

* 

The  Cerebro-Spinal  and  Sympathetic  Nervous  Systems. 


THE  CARE  OF  THE  NERVES  187 

below  the  point  of  injury.  No  messages  can 
travel  from  brain  to  arms  or  legs,  consequently 
the  person  cannot  move  them  when  he  wishes. 

3.  There  are  twelve  principal  pairs  of  nerves 
which  come  out  from  the  brain.  These  are  con- 
nected with  the  senses  and  the  chief  organs  in 
the  chest  and  abdomen.  From  the  spinal  cord 
thirty-one  pairs  of  nerves  run  out  to  all  parts  of 
the  body.  The  nerves  are,  for  the  most  part, 
made  up  of  two  fibres,  one  sensory  and  one  motor. 
Sensation  travels  in  along  the  sensory  track  from 
some  place  on  the  outside  of  the  body,  and  the 
answering  impulse  flies  back  along  the  other  fibre 
and  produces  motion. 

4.  We  learned  that  the  flesh  everywhere  is  filled 
with  tiny  branches  of  the  arteries.  The  nerve 
endings  likewise  are  so  fine  and  so  universally 
distributed  that  there  is  no  spot  anywhere  in  the 
body  which  you  can  touch  without  pressing  on  a 
nerve. 

5.  The  nerve  fibres  are  white,  shining  cords, 
varying  in  size,  from  those  which  can  be  seen  only 
with  the  aid  of  a  microscope  to  the  large  nerve 
which  runs  down  the  leg  from  the  hip  to  the  ankle, 
called  the  sciatic  nerve,  which  is  about  a  half  inch 
wide.  When  this  nerve  is  inflamed  it  gives  rise 
to   that   extremely  painful  form   of  rheumatism 


188  HEAT.TH   AND   HAPPINESS 

called  sciatica.  Everyone  sooner  or  later  strikes 
at  the  elbow  the  place  called  the  funny  bone,  or 
the  crazy  bone,  from  the  peculiar  sensation 
produced  when  it  is  hit.  It  is  not  the  striking  of 
the  bone  there  which  causes  the  feeling,  but  the 
irritation  of  the  nerve  which  is  close  to  the  sur- 
face at  that  point.  This  nerve  is  called  the  ulnar 
nerve,  because  it  follows  along  the  ulnar  bone, 
which  you  will  remember  is  one  of  the  bones  in 
the  forearm.  Is  it  on  the  thumb,  or  the  little 
finger  side? 

6.  The  nerve  fibres  are  covered  by  a  thin 
sheath.  When  the  covering  of  one  of  the  larger 
nerves  is  attacked  by  some  form  of  inflammation 
we  have  the  trouble  known  as  neuritis.  Neuralgia 
is  the  word  used  to  express  irritation  of  finer  bun- 
dles of  nerves  in  certain  regions  or  areas.  By 
the  common  term,  nervousness,  is  usually  meant 
that  state  of  the  nerves  in  which  trifles  upset  too 
easily  that  restful  poise  which  most  people  pos- 
sess, or  that  condition  in  which  the  ordinary 
amount  of  self-control  is  lost.  The  individual  al- 
lows the  imagination  to  have  too  great  sway  over 
the  actions,  so  that  he  is  ruled  by  feeling  and  emo- 
tion. This  is  more  frequently  the  fault  of  the 
female  sex;  when  it  occurs  in  the  sterner  sex, 
the  effects  are  more  pronounced. 


THE  CARE  OF  THE  NERVES 


189 


7.  If  you  are  naturally  nervous,  you  should 
train  yourself  to  overcome  that  habit  while  you 
are  young,  or  it  will  be  a  difficulty  all  through  life. 
It  may  be  impossible  to  get  rid  of  it  completely, 
but  do  what  you  can  to  work  against  it  on  all  oc- 
casions.   If  you  will  not  try  a  thing  just  because 


American  Officers  Coming  from  Church  at 
MoREuiL  EN  Dole. 

you  feel  afraid,  you  will  never  accomplish  much 
for  yourself  or  for  God  in  this  world,  nor  will 
you  have  a  harvest  of  good  deeds  to  bear  to  the 
next.  Useless  worries  and  needless  fears  are  the 
only  things  which  deter  a  great  many  people  from 
making  a  success  of  life.  If  they  had  only  made 
proper  use  of  their  opportunities  they  might  have 
become  great  in  the  eyes  of  their  fellows,  they 


190  HEALTH   AND   HAPPINESS 

might  have  done  heroic  things  for  the  spread  of 
Christ's  kingdom  on  earth,  and  reached  a  high 
plane  of  holiness  for  themselves;  instead  they 
spend  their  days  in  idle  inaction  and  fruitless 
desires.  The  real  reason  of  their  failure  is  that 
they  have  never  acquired  the  amount  of  self-con- 
trol that  would  have  enabled  them  to  act  in  spite 
of  their  fears.  Strength,  courage,  endurance  may 
come  more  easily  to  some  than  to  others;  but 
unsuspected  depths  of  these  virtues  are  at  the 
disposal  of  any  boy  or  girl  who  may  wish  to 
mould  them  into  their  characters  by  repeated  acts 
until  their  nerves  have  acquired  them  as  habits. 
Do  what  you  know  is  right,  no  matter  how  you 
feel,  or  what  you  fear,  and  your  life  will  be  a 
constant  ascent  in  happiness  as  well  as  in  holi- 
ness. 

8.  Neurasthenia  is  the  long  word  used  to  ex- 
press a  number  of  symptoms  which  indicate  a  seri- 
ous breaking  down  of  the  force  and  energy  which 
should  naturally  accompany  the  normal  working 
of  the  nervous  system.  There  is  a  break  here  or 
there,  a  lack  of  continuity,  an  interruption  in  the 
communication  of  the  various  branches  of  one 
system;  or  the  two  main  systems,  the  cerebro- 
spinal and  the  autonomic,  have  lost  their  accus- 
tomed harmony  and  cooperation.     Neurasthenia 


THE   CARE  OF  THE  NERVES 


191 


means  the  depression  of  the  nerves,  just  as  debil- 
ity means  physical  depression.  It  is  usually  the 
result  of  living  at  too  rapid  a  rate,  *'of  burning 
the  candle  at  both  ends,''  of  striving  too  strenu- 
ously for  things  which  are  beyond  one's  mental 
or  physical  resources.    Be  on  your  guard  against 


Peactice  Gets  the  Nerves  under  Control. 

it!  It  is  a  serious  illness,  known  as  the  Ameri- 
can disease,  because  in  this,  our  country,  life  is 
lived  by  many  at  such  a  rapid  pace  that  the  nerves 
are  not  able  to  stand  the  strain.  Have  high  ideals 
and  strive  to  live  up  to  noble  standards,  but  not 
at  the  expense  of  the  necessary  share  of  sleep, 
food  and  recreation. 


192  HEALTH   AND   HAPPINESS 

9.  '' Health  is  above  riches.''  Therefore  do  not 
work  too  long;  do  not  study  too  hard!  Modera- 
tion should  be  practised  in  everything.  You  can- 
not have  all  the  parts  of  the  body  working  at  top 
speed  at  the  same  time.  After  meals  you  should 
not  try  to  study  or  to  use  the  mind,  because  the 
nerves  of  the  alimentary  tract  are  then  busy  pass- 
ing the  food  along  and  stirring  up  the  digestive 
juices,  while  the  blood  is  being  sent  to  the  same 
regions  to  assist  the  nerves  in  doing  their  duty. 
That  means  that  the  arteries  going  to  the  brain 
have  not  the  full  amount  of  blood;  therefore  the 
brain  cells  should  not  be  called  on  to  their  utmost 
working  capacity. 

10.  Sleep  is  needed  to  reconstruct  the  worn-out 
nerves,  which  are  tired  from  the  day's  demands, 
and  require  rest  and  quiet.  Of  course,  as  we 
know,  the  heart  goes  on  beating  and  the  lungs 
continue  to  do  their  work,  even  in  the  soundest 
sleep ;  that  means  that  some  of  the  nerves  are  then 
vigilant.  But  with  most  of  the  body  in  repose, 
without  too  much  effort  the  blood  can  show  more 
care  of  the  guardians  of  these  vital  functions, 
and  take  the  opportunities  between  beats  and  be- 
tween breaths  to  furnish  nourishment  and  repair 
damages  for  these  particular  branches  of  the 
nervous  tissue. 


THE  CARE  OF  THE  NERVES  19S 

11.  The  amount  of  sleep  required  varies  with 
age  and  with  occupation.  The  young  need  more 
than  the  old.  The  infant  does  little  more  than 
wake  up  to  be  fed,  to  go  to  sleep  again  immedi- 
ately. The  growing  child  requires  nine  or  ten 
hours'  sleep;  an  adult  should  have  at  least  six, 
better,  seven  or  eight. 

"  Early  to  bed,  early  to  rise, 
Makes  a  man  healthy,  wealthy  and  wise," 

is  an  old  adage,  and  contains  advice  much  needed 
nowadays,  when  the  ^'children's  hour"  has  been 
put  so  far  back  that  their  parties  and  entertain- 
ments rival  their  elders'  in  unhealthy  excitement 
and  lateness  in  closing.  Of  course,  those  who  do 
not  go  to  bed  until  midnight  or  after,  find  it  hard, 
or  impossible,  to  get  up  for  Mass  in  the  morn- 
ing. As  a  result  their  Holy  Communions  be- 
come infrequent,  and  their  devotion  toward  the 
Blessed  Sacrament  gradually  grows  tepid  and 
cold.  They  wear  out  their  nerves  in  a  whirl  of 
gaiety,  until  there  is  nothing  left  in  life  by  the 
time  they  reach  the  age  when  they  should  really 
enjoy  it  to  the  utmost. 

12.  Most  leaders  of  men  come  from  what  is 
called  the  middle  class,  for  this  reason.  The  chil- 
dren of  the  rich  have  no  incentive  to  labor,  the 


104 


HEALTH  AND   HAPPINESS 


THE   CARE  OF  THE  NERVES  195 

brain  and  the  nerves  rust  and  lose  their  force 
through  disuse.  How  often  do  we  hear  of  a  man 
who  dies  after  a  life  of  hard  work,  leaving  an 
honorable  name,  as  well  as  a  large  fortune,  to  his 
sons,  whose  brains  and  whose  bodies  have  never 
been  trained  to  endurance,  so  that  their  unearned 
wealth  soon  departs,  and  their  health  is  also 
wasted  in  spending  it. 

QUESTIONS 

1.  What  is  the  medulla  oblongata  ?    Why  is  it  of  importance  ? 

2.  What  happens  when  a  man  breaks  his  neck? 

3.  What  nerves  come  from  the  brain?  from  the  spinal  cord? 

4.  How  widely  distributed  are  the  nerves? 

5.  Describe  the  appearance  of  nerves.     How  big  are  they? 
What  is  the  "crazy  bone"? 

6.  What  is  neuritis?  neuralgia?  nervousness? 

7.  What  usually  causes  nervousness?     How  can  one  get  rid 

of  it? 

8.  What  is  neurasthenia?    What  causes  this  condition? 

9.  What  precautions  are  to  be  taken  in  order  to  keep  healthy? 

10.  What  happens  during  sleep? 

11.  How  much  sleep  is  required? 

12.  Why  do  leaders  usually  come  from  the  ''middle  class''? 


Chapter  XX 
HOW  DO  NERVES  ACT? 

1.  Precisely  what  the  nature  of  a  nervous  im- 
pulse is,  has  always  been  a  subject  of  discussion. 
This  is  naturally  accounted  for  by  what  has  been 
said,  for  we  know  now  that  the  nervous  system  is 
the  instrument  for  the  expression  of  all  the  mani- 
festations of  life  within  us,  but  that  God  has  not 
yet  explained  fully  to  man  what  life  really  is. 

2.  Before  men  knew  much  about  the  construc- 
tion of  the  body,  it  used  to  be  thought  that  the 
nerves  were  hollow  tubes,  through  which  flowed 
animal  spirits  in  the  form  of  a  gas.  There  were 
four  kinds  of  these  spirits.  The  temperament  or 
disposition  of  an  individual  depended  upon  the 
particular  variety  floAving  through  the  fibres  of 
the  nervous  system.  The  four  spirits  described 
were  these: 

1.  Phlegmatic,  i.e.,  even-tempered,  gentle,  cool. 

2.  Melancholic,  i.e.,  sad,  pessimistic,  gloomy. 

3.  Irascible,  i.e.,  irritable,  sensitive,  impatient. 

4.  Sanguine,  i.e.,  ardent,  optimistic,  hopeful. 

196 


HOW  DO  NERVES  ACT? 


197 


Can  you  pick  your  own  character  from  such  a 
list?  When  you  do,  you  know  that  it  does  not 
come  from  any  spirits  in  the  nerves,  though  the 
nerves  have  much  to  do  with  character. 

3.  According  to  other  writers,  the  nerve  force 
was  a  fluid,  somew^hat  similar  to  water.     Later, 


FoEDHAM  University  Campus  on  July  Fourth. 

when  electricity  was  discovered,  many  scientists 
held  that  it  was  of  exactly  the  same  nature  as 
the  nerve  impulse.  A  noted  French  physiologist 
wrote  a  book,  in  which  he  expanded  this  view 
into  a  theory  which  was  adopted  by  nearly  all 
outside  the  infallible  Church.  Nowadays  most 
scientific  people  have  rejected  this  opinion,  and 
have  given  up  the  attempt  to  solve  the  difficulty. 


198  HEALTH   AND   HAPPINESS 

just  as  they  have  learned  how  to  make  use  of 
electricity,  without  discovering  what  its  nature  is. 

4.  It  would  seem  equally,  or  even  more  impos- 
sible to  analyze  the  nerve  impulse.  Study  a  re- 
flex action,  for  example.  A  reflex  action  is  the 
nervous  impulse  which  travels  along  a  sensory 
flbre  to  some  station  inside  the  body,  where  it  is 
transferred  back  along  the  motor  fibre,  causing 
motion,  without  any  desire  or  even  consciousness 
on  our  part.  Such  a  station  may  be  compared  to 
a  sub-station  of  the  telephone  system.  The  mind 
is  located  in  the  brain,  the  principal  station;  but 
Ave  do  not  have  to  call  on  it  to  have  mere  local 
calls  sent. 

5.  Suppose  you  should  accidentally  put  your 
hand  in  the  steam  from  a  kettle,  merrily  boiling 
on  a  red-hot  stove.  You  do  not  need  to  look  at 
the  stove  to  observe  that  it  is  hot  and  that  steam 
is  coming  from  the  kettle ;  then  gaze  at  your  hand, 
remark  that  it  is  being  burned  and  decide  to 
remove  yourself  from  the  vicinity  of  the  fire  be- 
fore further  injury  occurs.  If  you  were  obliged 
to  go  through  this  process,  serious  damage,  even 
loss  of  life,  would  often  happen.  Instead,  the 
sensation  caused  by  the  heat  travels  along  one 
nerve  into  the  nearest  sub-station;  the  answering 
impulse  along  its  mate  jerks  the  hand  away  from 


HOW  DO  NERVES  ACT?  190 

the  danger  before  you  have  any  time  to  think 
about  it. 

6.  Imagine  this  case:  A  window  cleaner  is 
standing  on  the  ledge  outside  a  window  of  the 
twentieth  floor  of  a  high  building,  using  both 
hands  at  his  work.  Suddenly  a  puff  of  wind  blows 
his  cap  off.     He  reaches  for  the  cap,  loses  his 


Column  Right. 

balance  on  the  ledge  and  falls  off,  as  one  hand 
grabs  the  cap;  but  the  other  grasps  the  edge  of 
the  ledge,  preventing  his  fall  to  the  ground.  How 
many  reflex  actions  occur  in  such  a  situation,  do 
you  think?  Do  you  suppose  his  guardian  angel 
had  anything  to  do  with  saving  his  life  ? 

*^He  hath  given  His  angels  charge  over  thee 
.  .  .  lest  thou  dash  thy  foot  against  a  stone.  (Ps. 
xc.  11,  12). 

7.  Place   yourself   in   this    situation:   you   are 


200  HEALTH   AND   HAPPINESS 

crossing  a  thoroughfare ;  suddenly  a  horn  shrieks 
and  a  chauffeur  shouts  at  you,  as  you  jump  back 
out  of  the  way  of  a  motor  car  which  flies  past. 
As  you  jump,  you  turn  your  face  tpwards  the 
car  with  a  look  of  mingled  alarm  and  annoyance, 
which  changes  into  a  smile  as  you  recognize  the 
occupants,  and  your  hand  waves  in  return  to  their 
bow  of  friendly  greeting,  before  you  start  forward 
again.  How  many  reflex  actions  can  you  count 
here? 

8.  It  is  reflex  action  that  accounts  for  digestion, 
circulation,  respiration,  winking,  coughing,  sneez- 
ing. Some  acts  begin  as  voluntary  ones,  and 
therefore  originate  in  the  brain;  later,  when  the 
parts  acquire  the  habit,  lower  sub-stations  take 
care  of  them  without  troubling  the  higher  cen- 
tres. In  this  way  occur  such  actions  as  walking, 
skating,  swimming,  dancing,  bicycling,  motoring, 
playing  any  game  or  instrument,  in  fact,  most  of 
the  bodily  movements  that  we  are  making  contin- 
ually every  day. 

9.  The  only  explanation  of  all  such  actions  can 
be  the  living  principle  which  animates  the  body 
and  which  uses  the  nerves  as  its  instrument.  You 
may  take  a  dead  body,  with  all  the  structures  per- 
fectly preserved,  and  place  it  in  any  situa- 
tion, but  nothing  happens.     The  only  reason  can 


HOW  DO  NERVES  ACT? 


201 


202  HEALTH   AND   HAPPINESS 

be  because  life  is  absent.  Now  life  is  simply  the 
manifestation  of  the  soul,  from  which  all  vital 
actions  proceed.  We  cannot,  indeed,  perceive  the 
soul  with  any  of  the  ^ve  senses,  because  the  soul 
is  spiritual;  therefore,  while  we  can  see  what  it 
does,  we  cannot  see  hoiv  it  acts.  Those  who  deny 
the  existence  of  the  soul  can  offer  no  sufficient  ex- 
planation for  the  many  and  varied  acts  with 
which  our  days  are  filled.  Life  implies  action, 
self-orginating  action  betokens  life,  the  acts  of 
life  show  forth  the  soul. 


PAIN 

10.  Pain  is  caused  by  the  irritation  of  some 
nerve.  Most  people  fear  pain  and  try  to  escape 
it  in  every  manner  possible.  Yet  pain  is  a  great 
benefit.  Some  of  those  who  have  done  most  for 
mankind,  leaders  in  every  sphere  of  life,  have 
been  sufferers  in  one  form  or  another.  Of  the 
writers,  there  are  Keats  and  Robert  Louis  Steven- 
son, both  of  whom  were  consumptive ;  Sir  Walter 
Scott,  who  suffered  for  years  from  agonizing 
cramps ;  George  Eliot,  who  was  ill  off  and  on  dur- 
ing her  entire  life;  Boyle,  Descartes  and  Male- 
branche.  There  were  Kepler,  Saunderson,  D'Al- 
embert,   all   great   scientists,   though   also   great 


HOW  DO   NERVES  ACT?  203 

sufferers  from  pain.  Among  the  artists  were 
Watteau,  Beardsley,  Navarette ;  of  the  musicians 
Chopin,  Schubert,  Beethoven,  Schumann;  of  the 
physicians  there  were  many,  who,  though  them- 
selves invalids,  worked  for  the  health  of  others, 
of  whom  the  greatest  was  Louis  Pasteur.  So 
the  list  runs  through  every  branch  and  pro- 
fession. 

11.  We  naturally  expect  to  find  many  among 
the  saints,  and  are  not  disappointed  in  our  search. 
In  fact,  it  is  hard  to  find  a  saint  who  does  not  seem 
to  desire  to  ''suffer  or  to  die,"  the  daily  prayer 
of  St.  Teresa.  You  will  also  remember  St.  Cath- 
erine, to  whom  was  given  the  choice  between  two 
crowns,  one  of  roses,  the  other  of  thorns,  the 
latter  of  which  she  freely  chose.    Why! 

12.  Physically,  pain  helps  us,  by  warning  us  of 
what  would  otherwise  harm  us.  It  is  like  a  red 
flag,  or  an  alarm  bell,  indicating  danger.  Morally, 
it  is  also  good  for  us,  as  it  supplies  opportunities 
for  cultivating  virtues  which  can  be  developed  in 
no  other  way.  A  person  who  never  has  any  hard 
things  to  bear,  remains  weak,  soft  and  unstable. 
Most  of  all,  it  provides  a  chance  to  resemble  our 
Blessed  Lord,  who  ennobled  pain  and  glorified  it 
forever,  by  the  painful  shedding  of  His  Precious 
Blood  as  the  price  of  our  salvation. 


204  HEALTH   AND   HAPPINESS 

QUESTIONS 

1.  Why  is  the  nature  of  the  nerve  impulse  a  subject  of  fre- 

quent discussion? 

2.  What  used  to  be  thought  of  the  nerves? 

How  many  spirits  were  thought  to  be  in  the  body?     De- 
scribe the  various  kinds. 

3.  What  later  views  were  held  of  the  nerves? 

4.  What  is  a  reflex  action? 

5.  How  important  is  such  an  action?     Give  some  examples. 

6.  Cite  some  cases  of  reflex  actions. 

8.  What  other  acts  are  explained  in  this  way? 

9.  What  is  life?     Why  cannot  the  soul  be  perceived  by  the 

senses  ?    How  can  we  know  it  exists,  if  we  cannot  see  it  ? 

10.  What  is  pain?     Of  what  use?     Name  some  sufferers  who 

accomplished  something  noteworthy  in  spite  of  afflictions. 

11.  What  is  the  practice  of  saints  in  this  regard  ? 

12.  How  does  pain  help  us,  physically  and  spiritually? 


Chapter  XXI 
OVERWORKING  THE  NERVES 

1.  There  are  certain  things  which  overstimu- 
late  the  nerves  and  canse  them  to  be  overworked. 
Moderation  is  best  in  everything,  in  food,  in  cloth- 
ing, in  play,  in  study,  in  conversation,  in  work. 
Too  much  food  is  as  bad  as  too  little.  The  former 
taxes  the  digestive  system  beyond  its  capabilities, 
the  latter  starves  it  into  uselessness.  Excess  in 
the  matter  of  dress  partakes  of  the  spirit  of 
paganism  and  detracts  from  Christian  humility 
and  modesty.  It  would  be  amusing,  if  it  were  not 
sad,  to  consider  that  the  present  feminine  style 
of  bunching  the  hair  above  each  cheek  came  from 
a  notorious  Parisian  dancer,  who  covered  her  ears 
in  order  to  conceal  their  deformity. 

2.  If  there  is  too  much  play,  nothing  is  ever 
accomplished.  Too  much  study  results  in  ill- 
health.  Too  great  prominence  in  conversation 
makes  the  talker  undesirably  conspicuous;  and 
the  continual  interjection  of  slang  phrases  shows 

205 


206 


HEALTH   AND   HAPPINESS 


a  lamentable   acquaintance   with  good  language 
and  grammar. 

"All  work  and  no  play, 
Makes  Jack  a  dull  boy," 

is  an  axiom  that  explains  itself. 


Keystone  View  Co. 


Over  the  Top. 


3.  So  it  is  with  the  nerves.  Lack  of  exercise 
makes  them  feeble.  Overstimulation  wears  them 
out.  Muscular  exercise  does  not  do  this,  because 
the  sense  of  fatigue  makes  one  stop  and  rest.  But 
there  are  certain  things  which  give  a  false  sense 
of  well-being,  while  actually  causing  degeneration. 
Such  are  alcohol,  tobacco  and  drugs. 

4.  Alcohol  is  not  a  food,  but  a  poison.     Some- 


OVERWORKING  THE  NERVES  207 

times  poisons  are  needed,  as  strychnine,  when  the 
heart  is  weak ;  but  we  do  not  take  poison  through 
choice.  Over  and  over  again,  it  has  been  proved 
that  men  are  much  stronger  and  able  to  do  better 
work  when  they  do  not  drink. 

This  does  not  mean  that  the  use  of  wine  in  it- 
self is  sinful.  It  is  wise  to  have  clear  ideas  on  this 
point.  We  know  that  at  the  marriage  feast  of 
Cana,  our  Blessed  Lord  changed  water  into  wine 
for  the  pleasure  of  the  guests.  At  'Hhe  Last, 
sad  Supper  with  His  own,"  He  instituted  the 
wondrous  Sacrament  of  the  Blessed  Eucharist  by 
changing  bread  into  His  Sacred  Body  and  wine 
into  His  Precious  Blood.  Every  morning's  Mass, 
which  is  a  commemoration  of  that  stupendous 
event,  and  an  unbloody  repetition  of  the  supreme 
sacrifice  of  the  cross,  requires  the  presence  of 
both  substances,  wine  as  well  as  bread. 

Moreover,  alcoholic  beverages  are  useful,  even 
necessary,  in  cases  of  ill-health;  so  that  many 
physicians  deplore  the  pernicious  results  to  the 
sick  which  prohibition  has  produced  and  are  try- 
ing to  bring  about  some  modification  in  the  legis- 
lation. 

It  is,  however,  undoubtedly  true  that  the  prac- 
tice of  excessive  drinking  has  been  productive  of 
untold  misery,   and  that,  generally,   people   are 


208 


HEALTH   AND   HAPPINESS 


much  better  off  when  they  do  not  use  liquor  in 
any  form  as  a  beverage.  It  is  to  guard  against 
its  possible  evil  effects,  and  to  show  what  great 
harm  it  may  produce  in  the  opinion  of  some  noted 
men.  that  the  quotations  following  are  cited. 


The  Junior  Campus  at  Georgetown  University. 


5.  Mr.  Taft,  the  former  President,  present 
Chief  Justice  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  the  United 
States,  stated  on  one  occasion:  ''He  who  drinks 
is  disqualifying  himself  for  any  advancement  in 
life.  I  refuse  to  take  such  a  risk,  and  therefore 
do  not  drink.''  In  the  great  European  War  re- 
cently, it  was  found  that  drinking  impeded  the 
efficiency  of  the  soldiers  very  much,  and  so  pro- 


OVERWORKING  THE  NERVES  209 

hibition  became  imperative  in  all  onr  armies.  A 
Doctor  Williams,  who  made  a  careful  investiga- 
tion of  this  subject,  has  this  to  say  to  all  those 
who  use  alcohol  in  any  form:  ^'I  am  bound  to  be- 
lieve in  the  light  of  what  science  has  revealed: 

(1)  That  you  are  threatening  the  physical 
structures  of  your  stomach,  your  liver,  your  kid- 
neys, your  heart,  your  blood  vessels,  your  nerves, 
your  brain; 

(2)  That  you  are  decreasing  your  capacity  for 
Yv^ork  in  any  field,  be  it  physical,  intellectual,  or 
artistic ; 

(3)  That  you  are  in  some  measure  lowering  the 
grade  of  your  mind,  dulling  your  higher  aesthetic 
sense,  and  taking  the  finer  edge  off  your  morals ; 

(4)  That  you  are  distinctly  lessening  your 
chances  of  maintaining  health  and  attaining  lon- 
gevity; and 

(5)  That  you  may  be  entailing  upon  your  de- 
scendants yet  unborn  a  burden  of  incalculable 
misery." 

6.  Almost  every  boy,  as  soon  as  he  reaches  his 
teens,  is  apt  to  think  it  would  be  smart  to  smoke, 
w^hereas  he  would  prove  his  real  worth  by  refus- 
ing to  do  what  he  knows  is  wrong  for  him,  and  he 
shows  his  cowardice  when  he  yields  weakly  to  the 
ridicule  of  others.    Judge  Lindsey  of  the  Juvenile 


^10  HEALTH  AND   HAPPINESS 

Court  of  Colorado,  Avho  is  known  as  the  ^' Boys' 
Friend/'  makes  this  remarkable  statement  about 
smoking:  "I  have  been  in  the  Juvenile  Court 
nearly  ten  years,  and  in  that  time  I  have  had  to 
deal  with  thousands  and  thousands  of  boys  who 
have  disgraced  their  parents  and  themselves,  and 
brought  sorrow  and  misery  into  their  lives;  and 
I  do  not  know  of  any  one  habit  that  is  more  re- 
sponsible for  the  troubles  of  these  boys  than  the 
vile  cigarette  habit.''  These  are  strong  words, 
but  they  should  be  weighed  well  by  every  boy,  and 
brought  to  mind  when  tempted  to  smoke  or  to 
drink  by  some  companion  who  is  foolish  or 
vicious. 

7.  Wait  until  you  are  twenty-one  before  you 
begin  to  smoke,  and  then  you  are  not  so  liable 
to  develop  ''smoker's  heart,"  which  is  a  very 
serious  affection  of  the  heart,  due  to  tobacco.  Ask 
the  men  who  have  succeeded  in  breaking  off  the 
habit  of  years  whether  or  not  they  would  go  back, 
and  you  will  find  in  every  instance  that  they  feel 
like  free  men  at  last. 

8.  It  certainly  seems  strange  to  say  a  word  to 
girls  on  the  subject  of  smoking,  but  unfortunately 
it  is  a  practice  which  is  becoming  rather  common 
among  them.  Just  because  some  men  smoke  is  no 
reason  why  women  should.    Men  do  many  things 


OVERWORKING  THE  NERVES  211 


Wide  World  Photos 

A  Flying  Leap  With  Every  Nerve  Taut. 


212  HEALTH   AND   HAPPINESS 

whieh  women  do  not  do,  just  as  women  do  many 
things  which  men  do  not.  Remember  that  a  gen- 
tleman regards  a  woman  as  belonging  to  an  order 
higher  than  his  own,  and  loses  all  respect  for  her, 
if  she  insists  on  losing  her  womanly  charm  by 
adopting  the  manners  of  the  ^^fast  set."  Tobacco 
has  an  etTect  even  worse  on  women  than  on  men, 
and  in  most  cases  leads  sooner  or  later  to  the 
adoption  of  the  alcohol  or  the  drug  habit. 

9.  The  drug  habit  is  almost  the  worst  thing  pos- 
sible that  can  happen  to  anyone.  More  than  any- 
thing else,  drugs  destroy  brain  power,  make  the 
nerves  unsteady  and  unreliable,  weaken  the  heart 
and  reduce  the  strength.  But  most  of  all,  they 
kill  all  higher  feelings  and  ruin  the  moral  char- 
acter. The  drug  addict  will  lie,  steal  and  commit 
any  crime,  in  order  to  obtain  the  drug  for  which 
his  nervous  system  is  clamoring.  Many  of  the. 
most  hardened  criminals  admit  that  their  down- 
fall in  life  was  due  to  the  practice  of  taking  drugs. 
Morphine,  opium,  heroin,  cocaine, — these  are  the 
drugs  usually  taken;  but  of  late  years,  heroin  is 
the  chief  one  used.  Vile  men  will  give  this  drug 
to  boys  until  they  acquire  the  craving,  when  they 
make  the  boys  buy  it  at  fabulous  prices. 

10.  Some  people  acquire  this  dreadful  habit 
through  taking  patent  medicines,  which  contain 


OVERWORKING  THE  NERVES  213 

alcohol  or  some  drug.  Morphine  fiends  are  some- 
times the  direct  outcome  of  the  prescription  of 
the  drug  by  a  physician  for  some  illness ;  the  pa- 
tient continues  its  use  after  he  has  recovered. 
Beware  of  all  patent  medicines.  Remember  that 
those  who  manufacture  them  are  doing  so  in  order 
to  make  money,  not  because  they  have  such  a  love 
of  their  fellow  men  as  their  advertisements  would 
lead  one  to  suppose. 

11.  It  may  seem  strange  to  class  tea  and  coffee 
under  the  heading  of  drugs,  but  that  is  really 
where  they  belong.  They  both  contain  a  drug 
which  stimulates  the  nerves,  and  although  grown 
people  may  take  it  without  apparent  harm,  it  is 
very  inadvisable  to  give  it  to  children,  as  it  pro- 
duces nervousness,  irritability  and  frequently 
headaches.  The  drug  has  an  effect  similar  to  that 
of  the  whip  upon  a  tired  horse,  and  those  who 
constantly  whip  their  horses  must  expect  them  to 
become  useless  in  a  short  time.  Milk  is  the  safest 
and  most  nourishing  beverage  for  all  young 
people. 

QUESTIONS 

1.  Why  is  moderation  in  all  things  the  best  policy? 

2.  Give  examples  of  moderation. 

,  3,  Why  does  not  muscular  exercise  wear  out  the  nerves? 


214  HEALTH   AND   HAPPINESS 

4.  What  substances  cause  degeneration  of  the  nerves'? 

5.  Give  your  opinion  of  the  use  of  alcohol. 
State  the  views  of  prominent  men. 

6.  What  do  you  think  of  smoking?     Should  the  average  boy 

or  girl  indulge  in  it?     Why? 

7.  Is  the  drug  habit  harmful?     Why? 

8.  How  is  it  often  acquired?     What  do  you  know  of  patent 

medicines  ? 

9.  Are  tea  and  coffee  safe  beverages  for  all? 


Chapter  XXII 
THE  MASTERY  OF  THE  NERVES 

1.  Nerve  tissue  is  found  in  two  forms,  nerve 
fibres  and  nerve  cells.  The  cells  are  like  bodies 
from  which  the  fibres  run  off  like  long,  slender 
branches  or  arms,  to  a  muscle  or  some  other 
bodily  structure.  They  frequently  connect  with 
the  arms  from  other  cells,  and  while  they  do  not 
join  the  latter,  come  so  close  that  the  impulse 
travels  from  one  to  the  other,  almost  as  the  spark 
jumps  from  one  electric  wire  to  another. 

2.  A  cell  with  its  branches  is  called  a  neuron. 
It  consists  of  a  clear,  jelly-like  substance,  which 
is  the  most  wonderful  substance  known.  Proto- 
plasm is  its  name ;  it  looks  simple,  but  it  really  is 
so  complex  that  it  cannot  be  analyzed  by  the  most 
expert  chemist.  Nothing  like  it  has  ever  been, 
and  probably  never  will  be,  made  by  man. 

3.  If  a  fibre  is  cut,  the  part  no  longer  connected 
with  the  cell  begins  to  degenerate,  and  the  muscle 
to  which  it  ran  cannot  move.  This  clearly  shows 
that  it  is   the  nerve  through  which  the  motive 

215 


216  HEALTH   AND   HAPPINESS 

power  is  supplied,  as  everything  else, — the  skin, 
the  muscular  tissue,  the  blood  vessels,  all  remain 
the  same  as  before.  If  the  two  cut  ends  of  the 
fibre  are  joined  at  once,  they  will  usually  grow 
together  again.  This  may  be  seen  at  times  in  a 
bad  cut  in  the  wrist,  in  which  the  nerves  going  to 
the  fingers  are  severed.  All  motion  of  the  fingers 
is  immediately  lost;  but  if  the  surgeon  is  skilful, 
he  may  reunite  the  fragments  and  hold  them  in 
place  with  sutures.  Then  the  tiny  blood  vessels 
begin  their  work  of  healing,  and  motion  is  soon 
restored.  It  has  happened,  after  such  an  accident, 
that  a  careless  surgeon  has  brought  together  the 
wrong  ends  of  the  fibres,  with  the  result  that  after 
the  cut  has  healed,  the  person  may  wish  to  move 
the  little  finger,  for  example;  but  the  impulse 
travels  down  from  the  brain  and  out  along  the 
fibre  to  the  place  of  union,  then  to  the  other  finger 
to  which  the  cut  end  has  been  joined  by  mistake, 
so  that  this  is  the  finger  moved,  instead  of  the  one 
desired. 

4.  A  somewhat  similar  thing  occurs  not  infre- 
quently after  one  of  the  extremities  has  been  re- 
moved in  an  accident  or  an  operation.  All  the 
nerves  have  been  cut,  but  the  upper  portions  go- 
ing to  the  spinal  cord,  have  not,  of  course,  been 
removed.    The  cut  ends  may  become  caught  in  the 


THE   MASTERY  OF  THE  NERVES         217 

healing  of  the  scar,  and  the  irritation  causes  the 
same  sensation  to  the  person  which  he  formerly 
experienced  when  the  amputated  part  was  actu- 
ally touched;  so  that  he  now  thinks  the  pain  is  in 
his  foot  or  arm,  as  the  case  may  be,  and  he  asks 
to  have  that  part  made  comfortable,  when  it  is 
no  longer  there. 

5.  Doctors  made  use  of  this  fact  after  the  Great 


Perfect  Form. 

War  in  restoring  usefulness  to  crippled  soldiers. 
A  soldier  came  to  one  of  the  big  New  York  hos- 
pitals with  his  arm  all  shattered  by  a  shell.  It 
was  absolutely  useless  and  had  to  be  removed. 
The  only  sound  thing  left  was  four  inches  of  the 
bone,  with  the  shoulder  muscles  covering  it.  An 
artificial  arm  was  fitted  to  the  stump  in  such  a 
way  that  wires  were  put  through  holes  made  in 
the  muscle,  and  connected  to  the  artificial  fingers. 


218  HEALTH  AND   HAPPINESS 

The  upper  ends  of  the  nerves  which  formerly  had 
gone  down  the  arm  to  the  man's  fingers  had  not  all 
degenerated  nor  atrophied  entirely,  but  were  still 
in  the  cut  muscles.  These  muscles  are  voluntary; 
when  the  soldier  wished,  the  impulse  traveled 
along  the  nerves  to  make  the  muscle  fibres  con- 
tract, and  the  contraction  pulled  upon  the  wires 
which  connected  with  the  fingers,  making  them 
move  also.  After  some  months  of  practice,  the 
man  was  able  to  control  these  artificial  fingers  to 
such  an  extent  that  he  could  use  a  hammer  and 
drive  a  nail.  Many  similar,  amazing  things  were 
done  in  the  various  reconstruction  hospitals,  so 
that  even  those  terribly  maimed  and  mutilated 
were  able  to  become  self-supporting,  in  many  in- 
stances. 

6.  This  should  give  us  an  idea  of  how  much  we 
can  accomplish,  even  if  Grod  has  asked  us  to  be- 
come like  Him,  ^^who  having  joy  set  before  him, 
endured  the  cross,  despising  the  shame''  (Heb. 
xii.  2),  and  has  visited  us  with  some  affliction. 
It  is  remarkable  how  much  can  be  done,  once  we 
really  make  an  effort.  Some  of  us  may  have  seen 
people  who  were  deprived  of  both  hands  yet 
learned  to  play  the  violin  and  to  paint  and  do 
other  things,  by  training  the  nerves  of  the  feet. 

7.  It  also  shows  quite  clearly  how  much  is  ex- 


THE  MASTERY  OF  THE  NERVES        219 

pected  from  those  who  are  physically  and  men- 
tally perfect.  You  remember  the  parable  in 
Scripture,  where  our  Divine  Lord  speaks  of  the 
stewards  to  whom  were  confided  different  num- 
bers of  talents.  ^  ^  To  whom  much  has  been  given, 
much  is  expected. ' '  Unless  we  use  all  our  gifts  of 
mind  and  body  for  God,  the  evil  one  will  help  us 
to  put  them  to  a  wrong  use,  for  it  is  an  old  saying 
that  ^  ^  The  devil  finds  work  for  idle  hands  to  do. ' ' 

8.  To  accomplish  anything  well,  we  must  learn 
to  concentrate.  That  means  the  ability  to  fasten 
the  attention  on  one  thing  at  a  time,  and  thus  pre- 
vent dissipation  of  nervous  energy  by  scattering 
it  uselessly  in  many  directions.  We  do  this  un- 
consciously when  we  become  interested  in  any- 
thing. When,  for  example,  we  are  absorbed  in  the 
fascinating  plot  of  a  story,  the  noises  outside  in 
the  street,  the  ringing  of  bells,  the  chatter  of 
voices,  even  the  imperious  demands  of  hunger, 
may  be  altogether  unnoticed.  At  such  a  time, 
however,  there  is  nothing  wrong  with  the  nerves 
of  the  stomach  or  of  the  ears,  but  we  have  with- 
drawn our  attention  from  them  completely,  so  that 
we  pay  no  heed  to  their  stimulation. 

9.  In  the  same  way,  we  may  be  able  to  hear  one 
of  the  many  instruments  in  an  orchestra  by  ne- 
glecting the  music  of  all  the  others.    The  proper 


220 


HEALTH   AND   HAPPINESS 


way  to  use  the  microscope  is  not  to  close  one  eye, 
and  squint  with  the  other,  as  most  beginners  do, 
but  leaving  both  eyes  wide  open,  to  concentrate 
the  interest  so  jfirmly  on  what  the  eye  beholds  in 
the  field  of  the  microscope,  that  what  the  other  eye 


X-Ray  of  a  Hand. 

records  from  outside  is  absolutely  disregarded. 
In  like  manner,  we  may  hear  but  one  voice  in  a 
large  choir,  we  may  see  but  one  face  in  a  crowd, 
we  may  scent  the  sweet  fragrance  of  one  favorite 
flower  in  a  bouquet. 

10.  Such  concentration  is  practised  by  all  suc- 
cessful men  and  women  to  a  greater  or  less  ex- 
tent.   It  is  necessary  for  the  acquirement  of  any- 


THE  MASTERY  OP  THE  NERVES        £^1 

thing  worth  Avhile.  It  enables,  a  boy  or  girl  who 
really  wants  to  learn,  to  perform  the  assigned 
lessons,  no  matter  how  insistently  the  outdoors 
may  clamor  in  the  springtime,  no  matter  how 
many  voices  are  engaging  others  in  the  class- 
room, no  matter  how  interesting  are  the  story- 
books lying  in  the  immediate  vicinity.  It  is  a 
good  thing  to  practise  it  while  young,  so  as  to  be 
able  to  use  it  well  in  later  life.  ^^  Practice  makes 
perfect,''  and  ^4f  at  first  you  don't  succeed,  try, 
try  again." 

11.  It  is  mastery  of  this  quality  that  enables 
the  nun,  kneeling  in  prayer  before  the  Blessed 
Sacrament,  to  banish  all  the  distractions  of  earth 
and  breathe  the  very  atmosphere  of  heaven.  By 
the  possession  of  this  most  valuable  habit,  and 
with  the  aid  of  God's  grace,  which  He  will  never 
deny,  you  will  be  able  to  conquer  all  temptation, 
and  remain  calm  and  unruffled  in  the  very  midst 
of  a  surging  sea  of  difficulties. 

12.  How  is  such  a  gift  obtained?  What  does  it 
mean!  It  consists  of  nerve  control.  The  higher 
faculties  rule,  the  lower  are  constrained  to  obey. 
The  soul  is  master,  as  it  should  be;  the  body  is 
the  servant.  Sense  allurement,  the  siren's  sug- 
gestions, the  inducements  of  false  friends,  worldly 
advantage,   feelings,  hopes,   ambitions,  imagina- 


222  HEALTH   AND   HAPPINESS 

tion  's  vivid  play, — one  and  all  are  dominated  and 
held  in  check  by  the  nerves,  which  are  directed 
and  guided  by  the  intellect  and  will,  like  reins  in 
the  hands  of  a  man  who  drives  a  team  of  superb 
horses,  harnessed  to  his  fragile  chariot,  carefully, 
fearlessly,  unerringly. 

13.  This  is,  of  course,  the  ideal,  and  was  real- 
ized perfectly  in  the  case  of  our  dear  Lord,  Jesus 
Christ.  Our  Blessed  Lady  was  the  only  one  who 
resembled  her  divine  Son  in  this  absolute  domin- 
ion over  self;  but  we  all  should  do  what  we  can 
by  never-ending  attempts  and  by  daily  prayers 
to  approach  that  ideal  as  nearly  as  possible.  If 
we  have  won  the  victory  on  our  deathbeds,  we 
shall  thank  God  for  all  eternity. 

QUESTIONS 

1.  In  what  forms  is  nerve  tissue  found? 

2.  What  is  a  neuron?    What  is  protoplasm? 

3.  What   happens  to   a  nerve  fibre  when  it  is   cut?  to   the 

muscle  to  w^hich  it  went?     Can  the  cut  ends  be  joined? 
What  may  happen  when  joining  the  ends? 

4.  What  often  hapjpens  after  an  amputation? 

5.  What  can  be  done  after  amputation? 

6.  What  lesson  does  this  bear  for  all  of  us? 

7.  Why  must  we  try  to  do  our  best? 

8.  What  is  concentration?     How  obtained? 

9.  Give  examples  of  it. 

10.  Is  concentration  necessary?    Why? 

11.  What  can  you  say  about  temptation? 

12.  What  does  the  possession  of  concentration  imply? 


Chapter  XXIII 
THE  END  AND  THE  BEGINNING 

1.  In  an  ordinary  book  on  Hygiene  it  is  not 
nsual  to  treat  of  the  subject  of  death,  but  we  may 
be  allowed  to  say  a  few  words  about  it  here,  since 
for  Catholics  ^^ right  living'^  is  merely  the  prep- 
aration for  the  great  moment  of  our  departure 
from  this  world,  and  ' '  right  dying '  ^  is  a  matter  of 
supreme  importance  to  us,  for  we  know  that  our 
whole  eternity  depends  upon  it. 

2.  To  many  a  modern  scientist  death  is  simply 
the  cessation  of  all  bodily  activity,  the  complete 
stopping  of  the  physical  and  chemical  processes 
which  are  called  life.  The  scientist's  interest 
ceases  at  that  point,  which  for  him,  who  recog- 
nizes not  the  soul,  means  oblivion,  annihilation, — 
the  end  of  everything. 

3.  But  for  us  death  means  the  beginning  of 
everything;  it  is  the  goal  towards  which  all  our 
endeavors  in  life  have  led.  It  is  the  end  of  a 
shadowy  life,  but  the  beginning  of  real  life  with 

223 


224  HEALTH   AND   HAPPINESS 

our  God,  ''whom  here  we  see  but  as  in  a  glass 
darkly,  but  there  face  to  face.'' 

4.  Death  is  the  separation  of  the  body  from  the 
soul  which  inhabited  it,  and  which  gave  it  life. 
Without  the  soul,  the  body  was  helpless  and  could 
do  nothing;  when  the  soul  leaves  it  and  thus  de- 
prives it  of  all  sustaining  and  vital  powers,  it 
ceases  to  be  a  body  and  becomes  a  corpse.  A 
corpse  is  merely  a  collection  of  various  bony, 
muscular  and  nervous  tissues  and  cells,  held  to- 
gether for  a  time  by  the  force  of  the  position 
w^hich  the  soul  had  stamped  upon  them,  and  by 
the  chemical  and  physical  laws  which  the  Author 
of  nature  has  arranged.  But  shortly  these  yield 
to  the  inevitable  law  of  all  matter,  and  the  vari- 
ous organs  and  structures  fall  apart,  decay  and 
return  to  the  earth  from  which  they  were  made. 

5.  When  the  priest  puts  the  ashes  upon  your 
forehead  on  Ash  Wednesday  morning,  he  says 
''Eemember,  man,  that  dust  thou  art,  and  unto 
dust,  thou  shalt  return."  As  soon  as  life  departs 
with  the  soul,  therefore,  the  corpse  begins  to 
corrupt ;  and  soon  it  has  to  be  buried  in  the  earth, 
there  to  await  the  trumpet-call  of  the  Archangel 
on  the  last  day  of  the  world,  when  all  bodies  shall 
rise  and  be  again  united  to  the  souls.  The  bodies 
of  the  just  shall  be  glorious  and  shining  with 


THE  END  AND  THE  BEGINNING 


^^5 


light,  and  shall  stand  in  the  splendor  of  the  right 
side  of  the  Judge;  the  bodies  of  the  wicked  shall 
be  frightful  and  hideous,  and  shall  shrink  to  their 
place  in  the  dark  shadow  of  the  left. 

6.  Cremation  means  the  burning  of  the  corpse. 
Crematories    are    frequently    found    attached    to 


Death  on  the  Field  of  Honor. 


Protestant  cemeteries.  Never  are  they  found  in 
Catholic  grave-yards,  which  in  olden  times  were 
always  grouped  around  the  church,  and  called  af- 
fectionately "God's  Acre.''  During  life  the 
church  has  been  the  strength  of  those  whose  bodies 
are  lying  there.  It  would  be  their  protection  after 
death,  and  a  guarantee  of  respect  and  veneration 
for  them.    The  practice  of  cremation  has  not  been 


HEALTH   AND   HAPPINESS 

tolerated  by  the  Catholic  Church,  as  it  considers 
such  a  practice  an  unworthy  method  of  treating 
the  former  habitation  of  the  soul,  which  was 
stamped  with  the  Precious  Blood  of  Christ,  and 
so  often  was  the  recipient  of  His  sacraments. 
The  Sacred  Body  of  our  Lord  was  also  buried  in 
the  earth,  and  we  place  our  dead  there  in  imitation 
of  His  burial. 

7.  Without  the  body  the  soul  could  not  act  dur- 
ing life.  The  body  was  the  instrument  by  which 
it  worked  out  its  salvation,  or  brought  it  to  repro- 
bation. The  soul  was  not  created  with  ideas  and 
thoughts,  but  was  endowed  with  intellect,  memory 
and  will,  which  had  to  be  gradually  developed  by 
the  use  of  the  senses  which  belonged  to  the  body. 
''It  is  appointed  unto  man  once  to  die,  and  after 
death,  judgment'^ ;  when  the  proper  time  comes, 
therefore,  the  soul  leaves  the  companion  of  its 
earthly  pilgrimage,  and  goes  alone  to  render  an 
account  of  the  use  it  has  made  of  that  companion 
to  the  supreme  Judge,  ''who  can  neither  deceive 
nor  be  deceived.'' 

8.  The  exact  instant  when  the  soul  departs  is 
one  of  the  secrets  God  keeps  to  Himself.  It 
seems  as  if  the  two  partners  could  not  bear  to 
be  torn  apart.  The  soul  clings  to  the  innermost 
embraces  of  the  body  until  it  is  forcibly  driven 


THE  END  AND  THE   BEGINNING        227 

forth.  The  external  surfaces,  the  sense  impres- 
sions, visible  breathing  and  the  circulation  of 
blood, — all  may  indicate  apparent  death,  but  at 
times  persons  in  such  a  condition  have  been  re- 
vived, showing  that  the  soul  had  done  nothing 
more  than  withdraw  the  usual  outward  manifes- 
tations of  its  presence.  This  is  a  point  to  bear 
in  mind,  and  in  all  cases  of  sudden  and  unexpected 
death,  the  priest  should  be  called  to  administer 
Extreme  Unction,  for  if  the  soul  is  still  present, 
the  sacrament  may  mean  its  salvation. 

9.  Some  ill  informed  Catholics  think  that 
'^ anointing"  means  that  death  will  surely  follow, 
and  so  delay  to  send  for  the  priest  until  the  person 
is  dying.  Such  people  do  not  understand  that  this 
sacrament  has  a  twofold  effect.  By  their  foolish 
delay  they  deprive  the  patient  of  the  ^'health  and 
strength  of  the  body,"  which  Extreme  Unction  is 
intended  to  produce,  for  the  anointing  might  have 
been  the  very  means  of  saving  life  instead  of  has- 
tening death.  When,  by  waiting  too  long,  the 
person  is  actually  dead  on  the  arrival  of  the 
priest,  the  sacrament  cannot  have  any  effect. 

10.  Do  not  be  afraid  of  death.  The  devil  will  be 
on  hand  at  our  dying  hour  to  make  use  of  any  ad- 
vantage which  our  fear  may  give  him.  If  we  have 
received  the  Viaticum,  we  are  sure  that  our  Lord 


228  HEALTH   AND   HAPPINESS 

will  be  there  too;  our  guardian  angel  will  have 
summoned  our  Blessed  Mother,  the  Mother  of 
Mercy,  and  all  our  patron  saints,  who  will  form 
a  guard  about  us,  and  ward  off  all  harm  and 
danger.  Have  no  fear  therefore.  Death  means 
simply  the  going  home  to  God,  who  is  waiting  to 
reward  us  for  everything  Ave  have  done  for  Him. 
Think  of  it  often  during  life,  prepare  for  it  every 
night  as  you  kneel  beside  your  bed,  then,  when  it 
comes,  you  will  face  it  calmly  and  without  any 
other  longing  than  ''to  be  dissolved,  and  be  with 
Christ.'^ 

QUESTIONS 

1.  Why  is  it  right  to  speak  of  death  in  a  book  on  Hygiene? 

2.  Of  what  interest  is  death  to  the  average  scientist? 

3.  What  does  it  mean  to  Catholics? 

4.  What  is  death?    What  is  a  corpse? 

5.  What  happens  to  the  body  after  death? 

6.  What  is  cremation?    How  does  the  Catholic  Church  regard 

it?    Why  does  the  Church  take  this  stand? 

7.  How  much  does  the  soul  depend  on  the  body  during  life? 

8.  When  does  death  occur?     What  follows  it?     How  should 

we  act,  if  a  person  dies  without  the  last  sacraments? 

9.  Why  is  such  a  practice  recommended? 
10.  How  should  we  prepare  for  a  good  death? 


INDEX 


Abdomen,  95. 
Abnormal,  25,  72. 
.Abscess,  79. 
Absorption,  89,  106. 
Abuse  of  eyes,  121. 
Adam's  apple,  152. 
Adenoids,  133,  151. 
-Esophagus,  152. 
Air,  138. 

Air  passages,  152. 
Alcohol,  206. 
Alimentation,  87. 
Anatomy,  1. 
Animal,  man  an,  2. 
Anointing,  227. 
Aorta,  71,  109. 
Appendicitis,  98. 
Artery,  71. 

Artificial  respiration,  163. 
Assimilation,  89,  106. 
Atlas,  5. 

Atmosphere,  141. 
Attention  to  teeth,  4. 
Auditory  canal,  129. 
Auricles  of  heart,  69. 
Automaticity  of  heart,  68. 

Bacteria,  111,  114,  149. 
Bandage,  26. 


Baptism,  when  to  give,  165. 
Bath,  32,  57,  58,  60,  142 
Bernard,  Claude,  100. 
Biceps,  22. 
Bile,  102. 
Biology,  1. 
Blind,  119. 
Blood,  72,  75. 
Blurring  of  vision,  123. 
Bone,  of  body,  12. 
back,  5. 
ghoulder,  6. 
skull,  4. 

structure  of,  8. 

thigh,  7. 
Botany,  what  is,  1. 
Bowels,  98. 
Brain,  168,  180. 
Breathing,  27,  156. 
Broca,  convolution  of,  182. 
Bronchus,  158. 
Bruise,  51. 
Burn,  49. 

Calcutta,  Black  Hole  of,  146. 
Calisthenics,  45. 
Callus,  51. 
Calvary,  83. 
Camera,  117. 


229 


230 


INDEX 


Cana,  marriage  at,  207. 
Cannibal,  18. 
Carbon  dioxide,  139. 
Cartilage,  11. 
Cataract  of  eye,  125. 
Cell,  66,  77,  173 
Cerebro-spinal  meningitis,  168. 
Character,  47,  174. 
Chest,  6. 

Chewing  gum.  111. 
Circulation,  26. 
Clot,  76. 

Cochlea  of  ear,  133. 
Coffee,  213. 
Cold,  55,  58,  60,  147. 
Collar-bone,  6. 
Combustion,  27. 
Concentration,  219. 
Confession,  62. 
Confidence,  39. 

Consciousness,  stream  of,  173. 
Consumption,  145. 
Contortionist,  11. 
Contraction,  of  muscle,  23,  67. 

of  heart,  68. 
Corpuscles  of  blood,  77. 
Cremation,  225. 

Death,  of  our  Lord,  84. 
ourselves,  223. 
Deformity,  42 
Deodorant,  149. 
Dermis,  49,  50. 
Diaphragm,  17,  156. 
Diffusion,  106. 
Digestion,  88,  93. 
Disinfectant,  149. 


Dislocation,  11. 

Distraction,  221. 

Doll,  appearance  of,  61. 

Dorsal  vertebrae,  5. 

Draught,  144. 

Drowning,  163. 

Drugs,  212. 

Dust,  141. 

Dwight,  Dr.  Thomas,  xv. 

Ear,  129. 
Eardrum,  131. 
Emotion,  82. 
Energy,  111. 
Epidermis,  50,  51. 
Epiglottis,  152. 
Esophagus,  152. 
Eustachian  tube,  131. 
Excretion,  89. 
Exercise,  35,  46. 
Extremities,  2. 
Eye,  117. 
Eye-cup,  126. 
Eye-strain,  122. 

Face,  washing  the,  57. 
Fasces,  21. 

Fasciculi  of  muscle,  21. 
Fatigue,  30. 
Filtration,  106. 
Fish,  5. 

Focus,  123,  124. 
Food,  97,  110. 
Foot,  10. 
Fracture,  12. 
Funk,  Dr.  C,  113. 
Function,  1. 


INDEX 


231 


Garden  of  Olives,  84. 
Germs,  111,  114,  149. 
Glycogen,  29. 
Grace  at  meals,  112. 
Gymnasium,  45. 

Habit,  174. 
Hair,  52. 
Hair-brush,  55. 
Hand,  6. 
Happiness,  xv. 
Heart,  65. 

auricles,  69. 

valves,  69. 

rhythm,  68. 
Heroin,  212. 
Hip,  7. 

Hospital,  fear  of,  98. 
Hygiene,  2. 

Ileo-csecal  valve,  98. 

Incisor,  4. 

Indian  and  cold,  59. 

Infantile  paralysis,  181. 

Intelligence,  179. 

Intestinal  juice,  100. 

Iris,  125. 

Irritability  of  muscle,  23. 

Jaw,  2. 

Joint,  10. 

Judgment,  general,  224. 

Knee,  7. 

Labyrinth  of  ear,  133. 
Lachrymal  gland,  126. 


Lacteal,  108. 
Larynx,  152. 
Lens,  124. 
Life,  25. 
Ligament,  11. 
Light,  124. 
Lime,  8. 
Liver,  104. 
Locomotion,  88. 
Lungs,  158. 

Mastication,  93. 

Measles,  131. 

Meat,  17. 

Medulla  oblongata,  185. 

Meninges,  168. 

Mental  defective,  133. 

Microcosm,  xiii. 

Midriff,  64. 

Molar,  4. 

Morphine,  212. 

Muscle,  16. 

involuntary,  20. 

voluntary,  18. 
Mushroom,  110. 

Nails,  51. 

Nervous  system,  167. 
Nervousness,  188. 
Neuralgia,  188. 
Neurasthenia,  190. 
Neuron,  215. 
Nitrogen,  139,  140. 
Normal,  72. 
Nose,  151. 
Nostrils,  151. 


232 


INDEX 


Odors,  142. 
Osmosis,  106. 
Oxygen,  139. 

Pain,  202. 
Paint,  on  face,  61. 
Pancreas,  101. 
Paralysis,  181,  187. 
Pasteur,  Louis,  160. 
Patent  medicines,  212. 
Pelvis,  7. 
Pericardium,  83. 
Perspiration,  56. 
Physiology,  1. 
Plasma,  77. 
Pleura,  158. 
Poison,  29,  110. 
Precision,  37. 
Providence,  21. 
Pulmonary,  159. 
Pupil  of  eye,  125. 
Pylorus,  96,  97. 

Reading,  127. 

Reflex  action,  198. 

Reproduction,  89. 

Respiration,  89. 

Resuscitation,  163 

Retina,  123. 

Rib,  6. 

Rice,  as  food,  33. 

Rickets,  9. 

Rigor  mortis,  23. 

Roman  Empire,  days  of,  21. 

Sac,  83. 

Sacral  vertebrse,  5. 


Saint,  how  to  be  a,  176. 
Saliva,  93. 
Sartorius,  16. 
Saturation,  141. 
Secretion,  87. 
Self-control,  82. 
Sensation,  88,  135. 
Shock,  181. 
Shoe,  shape  of,  10. 
Shoulder,  6. 
Shower  bath,  32. 
Skating,  40,  175. 
Skeleton,  1,  13. 
Skin,  49. 
Skull,  2. 
Sleep,  192. 
Smoking,  209. 
Soul,  177,  200,  226. 
Sound, 134. 
Speaking,  152,  155. 
Spirit,  196. 
Sprain,  11. 
Stapedius,  16. 

Stimulus,  inner,  of  heart,  68. 
Stomach,  96. 
Strain  of  eye,  122. 
Strychnine,  207. 
Sun,  149. 
Sweat,  55. 
Swimming,  37,  155. 
Sylvester's   method   of  resus- 
citation, 163. 

Tea,  213. 
Teeth,  4. 
Telephone,  167. 
Temperament,  196. 


INDEX 


233 


Temptation,  221. 
Tendon,  21. 
Teresa,  St.,  203. 
Thigh,  7. 
Tired,  28,  32. 
Towel,  61. 
Trachea,  157. 
Tricuspid,  70. 
Trunk,  2,  64. 
Tuberculosis,  145. 

Valve,  26,  69. 


Vein,  71. 
Ventilation,  144. 
Vertebra,  5. 
Villus,  108. 

Vitamines  in  food,  113. 
Vital  process,  88. 
Voice.  152. 


Walking,  19,  41. 
Wrestling,  39. 
Wrist,  6. 


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